ellen mitchener is fundraising for Diverse Abilities Plus

ellen mitchener is fundraising for Diverse Abilities Plus

THIS IS WHERE MONEY RAISED WILL BE GOING:

Smithers opened in 1995 as a short-stay residential home providing short breaks. It has fully equipped overnight bedrooms for up to 4 children or young people, with complex physical and/or learning difficulties; often with associated health issues. A further 3 children can be accomodated during the day. Ages range from 2-18, occasionally 19.

Shapes, established in 2004, is our domiciliary service for children and young people offering flexible support for children and young people aged 2-18 years with individually tailored programmes. The children typically have physical and/or learning difficulties, many of which can be profound or complex.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

If any of you would like to sponsor me every penny really counts even just a few pounds, i would be eternally greatful and i know the children and their families would be too

xxxxxxxxxxx

Long time no see

Hello dear friends it is i,I have returned. I have been absent for a little while, due to hectic life style going bit all over past couple of weeks. Well Ben Nevis training is going good i have just signed myself up to boot camp for a week in June :s 6am role calls, running, surfing, weights, military style training, 8.9 hours of exercise a day!!! And im paying for this out of choice as i thought it looked like 'fun' yes 'fun'!! but it will help with the training and if it goes well i will be booking back on it next year as have the wedding next year :) as well as signing up for boot camp i have been regularly abusing my facebook page by putting link after link of my just giving page in an attempt to get sponsors i have even resorted to promises of giving up junk food for sponsors, its working as i am very close to my target and have managed to do day one of no junk. So on the charitable side I think im doing good. Work has been a bit hectic, they are changing the structure. I have decided to go for it as financialy we will have freedom and means i can do even more with my daughter or dare i utter it the word mortgage, yes we can actually save and have our dream wedding then save for a mortgage. A life long dream of mine to have my own home, but now its a case of if we do buy it needs to be near this school etc, my daughter is 21 months and already school comes into play, but i guess when you buy your there for the long haul and our children's future and well being is definitely not a last minute decisions but years and months of forward planning. We have also decided to take our first family holiday abroad :) so very excited but now need to work out how to get a 21 month old a passport :s could be amusing as she dont like to keep still one bit!!
 While on the subject of my daughter she got her first badge for gymnastics :) o very proud beaming mummy, we are looking into dance classes now as well as she cant keep her feet still when she hears music, she is definitely an active girl, swimming, gymnastics, she loves being outside, going to take her canoeing in the summer and next year going to take her camping. She has been camping when she was 3 months old and was really good. So definitely want to keep her active and outdoors attitude going.
I am also very excited as today i paid the deposit for our wedding cakes :) 19 months to go how very scary, when he proposed 2 years seemed to be so long to wait but its not!! luckily I am super organized (either that or i have far too much free time) the only thing i dont know is who is doing the hair. Got make up booked, photographer, venue oh wait registrar will be next months pay.
But i thought i would pop on to say hello and that i am still alive just going through a hectic patch. But I will leave you with this quote from a song i have decided is my 2011 anthem and theam song "If they tell you you cant, take the t off, opinion isn't facts so take it in and let it go" I spent Saturday while hung over (now i know why i dont drink that much) thinking that 2011 has been so far a very positive year for me and my family and friends so many great opportunities and things to look forward too. So here is to more 2011 :)

Diary of a busy mum: Shared care

Diary of a busy mum: Shared care
http://boroughofpoole.com/go.php?structureID=U464054ba125b4&ref=S464C1E4CD02FA

Shared care

I have decided i would like to try shared care. No not for my daughter but to help other families. A few girls from work foster and share care with families of children who have learning and physical disabilities. I was sat talking to my friend today and the idea and concept of it sounded great, even if i could only offer one day a week for day care. It would fit around my daughter, I could choose when i did and it would be helping families. Of course I am limited by where i live and my daughter so would have to be more mobile and not too challenging children but i feel i could still be of use and help. I am really loving my new job and often say i would love to take some of the children home.
http://boroughofpoole.com/go.php?structureID=U464054ba125b4&ref=S464C1E4CD02FA
If you get a moment copy and paste the link for more information.

How the scheme works

The scheme provides the family with respite from the stresses and strains of caring, providing parents with the opportunity to spend time with their other children or to have a good night’s sleep. The children benefit by developing new interests, friendships, experiences and independence skills.
The scheme recruits, approves and trains volunteers to be carers for children with disabilities. The carers may be single, couples, with or without children: all undergo a full assessment over a minimum of 4 months. Carers are paid a specialist fostering allowance but there is no charge to the child’s family.
Shared carers usually look after the child in their own home and can take them on outings, introducing them to new experiences, activities and having fun for all. The care can be day time or overnight. Often the pattern is that a child may go to a family for day care regularly for several months before first trying an overnight stay.
Depending on need, some children have care once a week for a day or a half day, some once a fortnight, others have an overnight stay once a fortnight or maybe a full weekend a month. We try to fit the needs of the child with the availability of the carer. Carers who can offer extra in school holidays are particularly useful, but the main demand is at the weekend.
There is a waiting list of children referred for a shared care link, so it is not a solution to emergencies but a long term plan. Matching a child with the right carers is very important for a successful link so the waiting list is not on a ‘first come first served’ basis. There is a constant need to recruit new shared carers as new children are referred.
The children are referred to the scheme by a social worker and all will have a significant disability such as learning disability, physical disability or autistic spectrum disorder. Children can be referred for a social worker to make an assessment of need by contacting the Referral and Assessment team at Poole Children and Young Peoples Social Care on 01202 735046.

Im guessing me and my fiance will both be crb checked even though its me providing the care but on the chance he may be at home hen i am caring and because he lives here i guess that's why, but they are only doing it to ensure the children our safe. So ive sent my enquiery form off so lets see what happens when the ball starts rolling :)

Gyms, nails and return of a life

Well not blogged for few days now shock horror!!! But i am alive, well and safe no need to panic :) The past week I have been battling inner turmoil about my future. I think when you become engaged you start thinking long term and if this is what you want forever until the day one of you dies. Well turns out few things i was unhappy with that were building up one was a desperate need for a date night as we haven't been out for a while and just connected and the amount of football  and pub meaning i have no life. I do have a life but what i mean is a little bit of me time as im either at work (love my job) or when im not working i am always with my daughter (love her too) my fiance seems to think i do have a life and on my days off go gallivanting with friends. Yes it is being social but it is not the same you still need some you time, i am still a person. I choose to have my daughter but i did not choose to give up my life. So very long heart to heart and few scar tactics later i joined the gym and so far have been out several times either before or after his football, i must say after a week i am feeling better in myself, my stress levels are down even if its just a 40 min work out it makes me feel better and its really motivating as i am now making a very big effort to eat healthy and drink plenty of water. I have also brought myself a car, I have now got to a stage where car sharing is not practical me and my daughter are outdoor people, being restricted by lack of transport (both of us loath long bus journeys) so will have a car in couple of weeks which will mean getting out more, going to the forest etc as she has just discovered puddles it will also give me more independence and control so very pleased there. Today i enjoyed some me time with a girl from work, we got our nails done, had lattes, did lunch with a glass of wine and shopped for 80's outfits for her birthday at the end of the month. It was great to just have that girly time and just chat etc. I love my daughter dearly and my fiance but i have found that having a bit more me time motivates me and i am a better partner and mother for it as i am happy. So in a week i have achieved alot. Am looking forward to Sunday my fiances is taking me out to an Italian for an early valentines cant wait :) so bad start to week with an emotional turmoil but some communication and compromise the week is ending on a high. Now that i have done that what shall i sort next world peace or world hunger?? hmmm maybe my other half's language when he plays the xbox?? no stopping all world wars would be easier ;P

Prick Me!!!

Well its a Friday night, a very good night on any social calendar and I'm.............sat at home, was ment to be going out but the fiance clearly has had harder week so my social life is push to the side i guess as a mum we are used to always coming last :( So tonight i shall be getting to know my new washing machine and doing arts and crafts for the wedding. What a fun evening and cant even drink as I have work nice and early tomorrow. So tomorrow I shall be getting 2 piercings as i need them!!! Usually when I am feeling low or going through a bad time i get a tattoo or a piercing as it helps me to think clearly and acts as a release. I now am a member of the gym so when I do get a free minute i shall be running or punching my frustration out. Tonight making the Confetti cones, table names and bridesmaids flowers its either that or i get board and start eating for the hell of it and for comfort as that definitely wont help the waistline situation. But I'm sure a small glass of red wont hurt though?!
Oh one last thing if any one happens to find a life i think its mine, as i appear to have miss laid it. Cheers!!!

Weight loss begin!!!

So i joined the gym yesterday!!! Cant wait to get back into the swing of things, i used to be able to spend whole days in the gym, now i can just about muster the energy to get up some days. So today i used the gym Step class this morning not as easy as it looks may i add, and didn't help i went for the hardest board without realizing it, but i got through it, felt good. Went back this evening for body combat, loved it, kicking punching the lot, managed to get some might good aggression out. but on negative side i was biggest in the room, i actually left the class disgusted that i have let myself get so out of shape and put on weight. So i have returned home and in the style of some celeb promoting a fitness dvd i took some pictures of my body profile looking all depressed and deflated, i am hoping that in 6 weeks i can update them looking slightly happier then in 12 weeks going look what it did for me!!! im not bringing out a fitness dvd just a visual for me to see its working as i think when you see yourself every day you don't see your progress as much you just feel it. I have an appointment with a personal trainer next week to talk about my goals and give me a health check hoping the scales don't tell me to get off!!! I have thought of my goals the first is to build up my stamina for Ben Nevis climb in July for charity, the 2nd to feel like i can buy a bikini and wear it without scaring small children and the 3rd would be the wedding next year. I am feeling good for the exercise and its just the kick start i need to get me eating right and feeling full of life and confidence. So let the fitness begin!!!

Dangerous Child??!!!!

Now I don't usually rant or my blood boiling but today I was in tears and finding myself very defensive over my daughter. I turned up at the childminders all appears fine then she says she needs to talk to me instantly my heart is in my mouth. As she precedes to tell me that the other mum thinks my child is dangerous and that she thinks her daughter is unsafe. What the hell?!!! my daughter is 20 months old and the other little girl is few months younger. My daughter is not violent and am adamant on sharing and very strict on hitting, just the hint of her slapping and she is into time out, I am adamant my daughter will share and not hit. I will not have her tarnished with a bully brush or dysfunctional child brush, if anything sometimes i can be too strict with her as i worry about other people. My daughter happens to love this other girl and shares with her loads, im not about to question this other mother or rant about her child's behavior or the sort of person the mum is, as that would make me as bad as her and i have already aired my views to the childminder and my fiance. When my daughter has hit its usually at the end of the day, everyone is turning up, the house is busy and she just happens to slap or push, not in a nasty way and the other girl is never hurt. It just frustrated me that my daughter and my upbringing of her is questioned. Surely us mums must stick together its bad enough we feel judged by the rest of the world but by our own kind?!! all children go through stages of hitting, god me and my brother used to punch the hell out of each other as kids, its called growing up, also it must be frustrating be that small and lack of communication can lead to frustration. I asked the childminder how her behavior was in day and she is always as good as gold if anything the other girl is more naughty during day. It just made me very upset and angry, i know i am doing everything i can to raise my daughter right, she is no angle but i always deal with any behaviors head on before they escalate the only other option i can come up with is to put her in a cage as she is clearly a threat to all human kind!!!! I would understand if she was pushing downstairs or attempting to stamp on her head but she isn't, she is doing what every child in her age group goes through, i bet if they were at nursery the behavior would be worse as more children fighting for attention. At least my daughter is public about her so called beatings, could be the other way round she could be pinning this other girl down behind the sofa for non to see!!!! Safe to safe was not happy today and felt my natural instinct kick in at defending my child and my parenting. The childminder was very understanding and reassured me she did not feel my daughter was a danger and that it was all being taken out of context and that my daughter was perfectly normal for her age and that its an over reaction on the other mothers part. Just dampens my faith in other mums and makes me feel like as a mum i will always be battling some problem or defending my actions to those who don't matter just a shame its from another mother who should know how hard it is herself. Rant over, now excuse me while i poke my daughter with a sharp stick in her cage and feed her animal carcass like the dangerous beast she is!!!! :P

Wedding Bells ding dong!!

Was at cousins wedding this weekend i got the privilege of being the hairdresser for the occasion so was there right from start to finish. Was surprised no nerves!! I still dont think its sunk in that they are married. the excitement was amazing everyone getting hair and make up done and chattering. The night before me and my cousin went through a list of all the last times she would be a miss like dinner, sleep etc. We shared a room with my daughter and at 2am got a bottle thrown at my head think she wanted milk, luckily no bruise on my head!!! The wedding was beautiful and her dress looked amazing on, was hoping for tears from groom and father of the bride but sadly no. But was lovely. The after do was good apart from when i though i had lost my daughter ready to burst into tears and go hysterical but turns out she had found the fruit machine so Que dashes to the door every 5 mins so the push chair was used as a play pen. I did come armed with a box of tricks containing coloring books, play dough, baby and cats which she decided she would play with when stuck in push chair. Once the music started she stayed mostly on the dance floor and going up to every body and anybody wanting them to dance. It was lovely to watch her. Then she fell asleep so was my turn to bust some moves on the dance floor and boy did i move. It was sad when the evening ended it had been fun, the groom and father of the bride were being propped up by the bar, I had a 50 year old i nicknamed kneecaps Frankie hitting on me, had to flash me rock and decline lol It got me thinking about my impending nuptials next year and i can not wait!!! I cant wait to have the big day where we cement our relationship and family and commit for life in wedded bliss. i think now a days some weddings can be big and extreme but no guarantee it will last, i prefer the simple weddings were the focus in on the commitment the two people make and then a big party after. Now a days there are so many people divorcing and it can put people of marriage, both mine and my fiances parents have been divorced but i dont base my views on marriage on my parents. I think me and my partner have done the most difficult thing in the relationship and that is having children, they are so testing on a relationship and completely change the dynamics of the relationship. We had a very very rough patch after our daughter was born and we have come out the other end so much stronger for it, i feel that our relationship has a very solid foundation and can last the distance. Its making me more excited about our big day, i already have plans for our 10 year anniversary and that's to go abroad and renew our vows. The more weddings i see and the closer me and my partner get, all our little romantic moments and more time spent as a family the more i cant wait for us to commit to one and other for life. So a big congratulations to my cousin and her new husband on their wonderful day and leaving me even more inspired and excited!!! next on the agenda for them is babies so get cracking!!!!

Spoke too soon

Ok i lied the washing machine is screwed!! I spoke too soon, the minute you put clothes in it, it cant cope the water don't drain and it slowly spins as though overacting a dying scene taking its last breaths and dying slowly!!! Oh joy my wages shall be going on that, just what i wanted!! What i wanted to do with my wages was save towards wedding, join a gym (with a creche so i have no excesses) get 2 piercings (my belly and that bit of your ear that's by your ear drum) and getting my nails done with girl from work. the one month i want to treat myself the washing machine gets jealous and starts to seek attention!! If it was a child it would have a time out and the tantrum ignored but its the washing machine, and without it we would have smelly disgusting clothes and my fiances football kit would stink!!! like opening his football bag full of 11 mens sweaty kits smells like a pissy cat litter tray its disgusting, I cant have that smell in my house!!! Luckily we have a laundromat 2 doors down but it costs money and a 19 month old playing nicely in a laundromat while i wash and dry clothes, cant see it, and im not leaving my clothes un attended, we are in a recession god knows what people will steal these days!! On the plus side body pump was good i don't ache and only my second week!!! saying that before i had my daughter or met my fiance i would live in the gym doing all the classes, the gym, swimming the lot so maybe its muscle memory surprised they remember that far back or could be the fact i pick up my daughter carry push chair up and down stairs, manual handle for work so maybe its strength i already have either way i may get brave and increase the weights slightly next week (don't get excited i said slightly) after returning from that i then exfoliated, epilated and plucked within an inch of my life, have a wedding this weekend don't want to ruin the pictures looking like big foot!!!

Washing machine situation avoided!!!

Well yesterday evening i went into melt down, my washing machine decided it wasn't going to drain the water out of the machine, i put it on spin about 5 times and a new wash. Still no luck, still full of water and nice soggy washing sat inside. So i tell my fiance the washing machine is broken does he know any one who can fix it? well sat on the xbox i got minimal response as though i hadn't said a word, 30 mins later he comes to look at the machine asks if i have spun it again, put it through another wash all the obvious things that of course i wouldn't think of doing?!!! Men so very useful in a time of crisis!!! So not much input from him but when I put on facebook about my plight i received lots of valuable information from WOMEN yes women no men offered to suggest what i should do to my machine. One suggestion was to open the flap at the front and drain it out. well I dont have a flap on mine so how very frustrating, turns out washer dryers don't have flaps at the front :(. So today at the childminders after getting useful numbers of handy men etc my childminder said hers had done the same a couple of weeks ago and it was a blockage so she had poured half a bottle of descaler in the machine and put it on a 95c wash and it had worked. So i searched the shops could not find the descaler she had used so instead i assumed Mr muscle sink and drain unblock could do the same. So return home, fill sink with lovely soggy washing while soaking myself trying to grab it out and chuck in sink to avoid minimal water on the floor (not that it matters as landlord is putting claim in for warped flooring after he warped the hell out of it trying to fix boiler which is a whole other story one that is all resolved but caused me great stress at the time) any way back to the washing not soaking floor. I put the Mr muscle in the washing machine drum which still had water in, left for 15 mins then put on a 95c wash, well 40 mins in and it was full of foam, i preyed i hadnt screwed it up further, but 30 mins later on way to childminders to drop my washing off she kindly offered to do (must remember flowers tomorrow) i noticed the foam had gone so took that as good sign it was draining. So after cup of tea and natter returned home to a water free clean washing machine!!! one more 95c wash for safe measure to make sure all the Mr muscle had washed away so as not to ca-rode the washing. So relived it means rather than spending £70+ on repairs or new machine i spent £2 instead. Although was warned after that Mr muscle can damaged and disintegrate the seals so think maybe once a month i shall do a 95c wash (no Mr muscle) to ensure all crap and gunk is flushed through. Although have a very good tumble dryer warms up but the drum wont spin round so maybe i should call someone and get a quote cos surely washer/dryers although ment for washing and drying, not sure its ment for a family of 3 on most days washing and drying. Just means dipping into saving for wedding very tough decisions, wedding or repair tumble dryer, maybe wait till i get paid see what i have, after all started new job on better pay so maybe can make an exception this month. Gosh life as a mum don't get more exciting than this on a Sunday and Monday night washing machine dilemmas highlight of the year!!!!

Modern times

Now the old view of the woman was to stay at home, cook, clean look after the kids and basically what i feel is a doormat to the husband who would go out work hard and expect dinner on the table followed with beer and a foot rub. Clearly old man did not meet me. I have never disillusioned my fiance into thinking i am indeed a domestic goddess. I can cook (very well) Im art and crafty, i know how to use a washing machine, i can clean but i will not hospital clean my flat every day, i hate ironing to the point it makes me angry so nothing gets ironed unless on the day of wearing it really does need ironing. I am a working mum and when im not at work i am spending time with my daughter and the thought of cleaning, well i can always find something else to do. Dont get me wrong my flat is clean and tidy but it is also lived in, i have a child of 19 months definitely not going to be a show home, but i like it that way.
Since starting my new job the past 2 fridays i have worked 1-9pm so in the morning the slow cooker is put on and daughter dropped to childminder leaving my fiance to do pick up, dinner, bath and bed and wow!!! I need to work lates more often, he does the cleaning!!!! Its lovely, he is spending quality one on one time with our daughter meaning they become closer, it means i have one less thing to worry about and he is helping with the house work :) We definitely live in modern times and my fiance is adjusting very nicely and it proves to me even more why he is husband material. I love my daughter but i think if my fiance wanted to be a house husband i would definitely let him, only for a few weeks as i would miss the swimming and gymnastics, also my other half isn't exactly a cook so i would still have to keep that up, but i dont mind i love cooking :)

Randome musings on a thursday night

Its a thursday night, nothing exciting, nothing special just a thursday. Today has been a good day. Got wedding cakes sorted, ok 18 months in advance but hey bonus points for organization!! also don't want to skint myself want to pay all off slowly so can afford the little luxuries that make a day special. This then got me thinking about weddings and some of the price tags. is it just me or is it mad that the average wedding costs 25k??!! that's deposit on a mortgage and some money to do up the property!!! my wedding will cost 4k, already have dress £75 bargain and beautiful would not guess price and its brand new too!! also i am making as much as possible for my wedding like table decks, invites. That is another thing wedding planners. Why? I think the fun and achievement of planning it yourself and doing it yourself is much better, makes day more personal. fair enough if you have won the lottery. But if the wedding planner does something wrong you cant shout at them they going on your instructions, you know the saying if you want a job done properly do it yourself. Completely relevant for weddings, yes ask friends and family for help, but we are in a recession and times are hard, but it don't have to cost the world to have a magical day, i think as long as you are saying i do to the person you love and are spending rest of your life with then who cares how you do it, where you do it or the price tag attached?

I have also written 12 pages of my box, that's most i've ever written, made me feel quiet angry, bringing back old memories, i clearly need to write it in order to deal with it, i also want to make a difference. I keep wanting to stop writing as it is pretty intense and im left emotionally drained, but it is one of my goals for the new year and i will make myself complete it, in between i am writing short poems and sharing with group i am part of life in rhyme to suppress or release the anger in between, think i will put the poems in the book as all part of it. I guess im shocked at how im feeling as i assumed i had suppressed it and moved on. Once i have completed it then I will decide weather or not to publish, decide when i also see peoples reactions to it that are close to me and aware of what I am writing.

I also realise im on a health kick, but i cant stop snacking!!! im doing more exercise so now my body wants more food!!! Im sat here munching on salted popcorn wondering if i can pass it off as one of my 5 a day as pop corn is technically made from sweetcorn?! No not happening, not sure i can get away with that one. Its like coke contains vegetable extract ok a 2 liter bottle probably contains like a pea size amount but can that count?? or do all the sugars and additives cancel that out? this then lead me onto the route of thinking about obesity and how much it costs on the nhs etc and that its normally the poorer families. well if we are an obese country and its critical why is all the healthy stuff so bloody expensive?? id love nothing more than to open my fridge and freezer and see a rainbow of fruit and veg and fresh organic, good for you, natural bacteria produce. But instead towards end of month or middle of month its full of convenience shove in oven, cheap as chips food. Yes i buy the frozen veg i try to make it healthy, but somehow i think the cook from frozen meat that's 90% fat cancels out the frozen veg. i reckon i should be in the government, this country should be run by mothers, imagine what a world it would be. multitasking, days planned down to a t. children put first, priorities in order, proper education etc. Yes send us mums to parliament that will sort us out!!! I have thought of a brilliant plan to get our country out of debt evey time a highly paid spoilt footballer cheats they must pay 10k off the national debt i estimate that the debt should be paid off in a month as footballers these days are not roll models and have real self control issues where their dicks are silver spooned by plastic fantastic. saying that the wifes arent any better they know what they are up to yet choose to stay there as there is finacial security, but what ever happened to women having brains, and pride oh and dignity. I could be with the richest man going but if he cheated it would be bye bye!!! i earn my own money and can look after myself thank you very much and if i cant i have a mother so there for no excusse for badly behaved men/boys.

And that people is my random musing for thursday night xx

Beach butt not beach hut!!!!

Oh sweet Jesus!!!! I am aching god knows what i am going to be like in the morning. i did body pump tonight with my mate. the instructor well reject from the Beatles is an understatement he even had a goatee. During the work out he really got into it hip thrusting, eyes popping, really feeling the beat. Me and my friend could not stop laughing. where as all the other people in the class were all stone faced like they had been dragged there. You all paid your money your there out of choice have a laugh people!!! Yes it killed when we started doing the chest on the 3rd song my arms began to become jelly like, then after that was arms well the shakes were awful and my arms were fighting with my body i was saying up they were saying piss off!! the legs wasn't so bad as most of my natural strength is in my legs any way. I was getting into the music so was my mate. I very much enjoyed myself. I got home and straight away in to a hot shower. While washing my hair my arms were still fighting the urge to go up past my shoulders, drying my hair proved even harder. Even writing this my arms are at a right angle and still telling me to stop moving!! Me thinks i am definitely going to feel it tomorrow. So i think a glass of wine is just what i need. Tomorrow is kinect night hopefully me and my mate will still have some movement in me in order to bust some moves about the place, if not we have agreed a cup of tea and a chin wag will do. Remember people we want beach butt not beach hut!!! That in mind all this aching if i wake up tomorrow and just one part of my body attempts to wobble i will not be a happy bunny!!! oh well at least i will be prepared for the Hitler routine next week!!

An impossible task?!

I have recently been inspired by several friends, i don't know if its the new year, the fact i am settled, or I'm due to wed or the new job and responsibility but i have taken on several big tasks. in my new job I have been asked to help raise money for the home I work in supporting children with severe learning and physical disabilities. We are climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland in July to raise money, i am very excited at this it also is a kick start for the diet and something to aim for. My second task is writing a book, I have always felt I have a story in me, everyone has a story in them. I have always enjoyed writing and being creative, I've just never had the motivation to sit down and write or the belief that what I am writing is of any interest, but I have decided that I will write it. What its about I'm not ready to share, once I complete it this book then I shall share. Weather it is published or not is another story but i would like to achieve my task fully. I wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew or is it just another 2 notches to add to my belt of many talents and abilities. Only time will tell. I wonder what everyone else has decided they are going to do in 2011?!

Please take my poll

Hello fellow bloggers :) and non bloggers I have been thinking alot recently about the support we have when we have children and i know full well i couldn't work as much as I do if it wasn't for the support I have with my daughters childcare. I was hoping that all visitors to my blog page would do my survey to your left. It would be interesting to see the types of support (if any) that you guys use or have.
Thank you xx

Gadgets, Gadgets and more bloody gadgets!!!

We definitely live in a world of technology. And I think most of it is in my flat, it would not surprise me if in some way my fiance had found a way to make himself electronic, like the bionic man or something. I come home from work today and guess what he now has an ipad. Ok i hear you say its just an ipad. But let me fill you in on what he ALREADY has.
3 Xbox's
1 PlayStation 3
1 laptop
1 Apple mac (which to be fair i use)
1 3D Tv
1 Iphone
And now an Ipad!!! we probably use the same amount of electricity as a small island!!! I find myself now sitting here surplus to requirements while him and his gadgets sit on the floor its like a party and your not invited unless you have a microchip or a switch board. It makes me wonder how would we cope today with no gadgets. Jamie's meals wouldn't be in 30 minutes but then we wouldn't know about him if we didn't have a tv? Facebook would not be around to keep us in contact with our friends, we would have to go back to the days of pen and paper. Teenagers wouldn't be stabbing their parents over xbox games or being teased for not having the latest gadget which us as parents are expected to buy with our money tree we have stored in the loft!!! I remember once we didn't have the internet for a week, we spent the week talking, watching movies and my fiance fell asleep in bed and not on the rug hugging his xbox controller.
As i stare at all his gadgets and ponder the world of gadgets, i wonder when did we all get so anti social? yes these gadgets promote social interaction but via a mouth piece or email, but in the same sense we are losing social exchanges with the people who live with us, our families! i mean we are always late any where we go,not because my daughter wont get dressed or i spend time doing my make up but because he just has to get one more game on one of his many gadgets before he can go any where. Yes I like the mac and my ability to communicate with so many and reach so many. But when do gadgets become an obsession? I think the only one of his toys apart from the mac I really like is his PlayStation 3 as it was over that he proposed, but now he hardly plays on it, charming!!!

Weight loss for busy mums

I complain endlessly about my weight then moan I have no time, yet there are evening where i sit in front of the tv flicking channels eating junk and facebooking pointlessly to fill the gap. In said time i could do the washing pile that is piling up or do the washing up, but frankly its the evening, my daughter is in bed so there for surely I can clock off and it can wait till morning. On the evenings when my fiance isn't at football I find myself doing the same routine only instead of watching tv I'm watching fifa. A pointless game on an even more pointless piece of electrical equipment the xbox. Or so I thought. Then the kinect came out. A device attached to the xbox that turns you into the controller. My fiance got dance central which came out at our new years party and when the in-laws came over for dinner. My god it was amazing!!! Dancing around like a loon sweating, laughing. And there it was I had found a use for the thing that is xbox!! So now when my fiance is at football the dance game comes out, once a week I have my friend over to play two hours of dance. I can feel all the chocolates, mince pies, roast potatoes and pigs in jackets falling off my waist and bingo wings!!! And while laughing my head off I can feel my stomach toning getting me ever closer to reaching my goal of having my belly re-pierced (No I'm not going through a mid-life crisis or trying to hold onto a dying youth, i used to have it done and would now like it re-done cos I liked it, not for any one else just for me) But in doing this I have also managed to find a night where my fiance can bath and put to bed our daughter while I go out with my friend and do a body pump class!!! Its amazing the way the excuses seem to fall away once you start. So my weight loss tip to all you mums and non mums so not to discriminate is to just do it!! Thats right bite the bullet, call a friend set a date, stick to it and just tell the other half for one night he must cope while his amazing other half has quality me time and gets the spring back in her step cos she is being pro active. So my first buzz phrase for 2011 (no I'm not stealing from Nike just borrowing) is JUST DO IT!!!!

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/kinect

Random blog :)

Hey be great if you guys could check out my friends blog, link on this page life in rhyme. very open and honest look into the life of a very brave mum suffering with depression and coping through poetry and writing, def worth checking out :) xx

Diary of a busy mum: Hello

Diary of a busy mum: Hello
http://www.netmums.com/pnd/
http://www.breastfeeding.ie/
http://www.workingmums.co.uk/