The situation in Haiti is terrible to watch, the images too tragic to see.  So I don’t watch.  I can’t watch.  But I can’t ignore it either.  The most constructive way to help from overseas is to donate to support the charity efforts which in already financially challenging times can be difficult, but please if you can, donate whatever you can afford.  Simply click this link and donate to Bloggers for Haiti

The link takes you through to the JustGiving website which is raising money for Shelter boxes going to Haiti, you can read full details on the JustGiving page Bloggers for Haiti aimed to raise enough for one box costing £490 when I left my donation funds has been raised for seven boxes, the cumulative total of many donating what they can afford which is just AMAZING.  Clearly with an estimated 1.5 million homeless the more that can be sent the better to help provide shelter and survival equipment to victims of the disaster.

Bloggers are working together to help raise funds for the relief effort, if you can help spread the word then please do.

You can find out more and make a donation here.

It’s “quiet time” at Lancaster Towers between 1pm & 3pm. Since Lil’ H started to need his afternoon nap less & less I’ve introduced “quiet time” to allow him to rest & renergise. This consists of a makeshift bed on the sofa, his blanket & a bit of Disney babysitting usually Toy Story 1 or 2 or Finding Nemo. Sometimes still quiet time becomes naptime too. It’s a nice part of the day for me as Baby G is usually asleep too so I get to drop down a gear on the mummy child caring & raising duties.

Today I arranged the tulips I bought myself and it dawned on me how I always like to have fresh flowers, how I enjoy choosing them, arranging them & simply enjoy them being in my home. Today I remembered that fresh flowers are a simple pleasure & I am really enjoying my Tulips, one of my favourite spring flowers. What are your favourite flowers? Brighten your day & treat yourself.

At Lancaster Towers this week I am dieting, as I was last week, I started on 2nd January and this baby weight has its days numbered! I have enjoyed eating creamy mushrooms and I thought I would share the recipe, the word recipe is an overstatement by the way, with my #twiet buddies. Continuing through the family Lil’ H has thoroughly enjoyed making and eating Annabel Karmel’s “Bang Bang Chicken” and Baby G has been chuffed to bits with Aptimel, 6floz, 6 x per day!

Creamy mushrooms (serves 1)
Simmer 200g sliced mushrooms in a non-stick frying pan with 6tbspn of hot vegetable stock for 4-5 mins, until the liquid has almost evaporated. Stir in 40g of low fat soft cheese, Philadelphia Light in this house. Heat through for a couple of minutes. Serve on toast for breakfast or mix into 60g cooked pasta with steamed veg and chopped lean ham or chicken for lunch.

Bang Bang Chicken
Ingredients:
1 boneless chicken breast
skinned 3 slices wholewheat bread
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
2 tablespoon plain flour
1 egg, beaten
vegetable oil

Directions: Cover the chicken with waxed paper and flatten with a mallet or rolling pin, then cut breast lengthwise into approximately 4-6 strips. Make bread crumbs from the slices of bread in a food processsor. If you are using the parmesan and parsley, mix these together with the bread crumbs in a bowl. I use parmesan because I always have it in and don’t use Parsley because I never have it in ! Dip the chicken into the flour, then into the egg, and finally into the bread crumbs. I make this recipe in big batches and freeze the “Bang Bang Fingers” in foil at this point. To cook (if frozen defrost thoroughly first) fry in oil for 3-4 minutes each side until golden on the outside and cooked through. Drain well on paper towels and then serve.

Enjoy!

I wanted, and have been attempting, to write a New Years Resolutions post as the new decade approached.  But I’ve been really struggling with it.  There is so much I would like to do and achieve.  As I started to compile the list it quickly felt so big I was ready to throw the towel in on the lot and the post got saved as draft and abandoned for another day.  If I can’t write the damn post I’m never going to achieve the resolutions in it! 

I discovered blogging and tweeting this year and want to do more and be better at both!  I also want to lose weight – of course and let’s not forget the other annual entries – work less, earn more, spend less, do more exercise, be more patience, swear less, watch less TV, spend less time on the PC, cook from scratch more, not drink during the week  … hang on Mr L is shouting me - A glass of wine you say?  Oh yes please!  … Save as draft!

That is how I got to 12^th January with no post about my thoughts, goals and intentions for the new year and new decade.  Then I came across #Themeword (god bless twitter!) via Erica Douglas who created the #themeword meme in 2007.  To participate, all you have to do is just think about one word that you would like to describe your new year.  Allegedly your #themeword can unfold in unexpected ways!  So here goes …

My Themeword for 2010 is ENJOYMENT. 

I am going to ENJOY the now in 2010.  I’m not going to do things I don’t ENJOY or give time to things or people I don’t ENJOY.  Life is too short and my family and time with them too precious.  I want to ENJOY food and still be able to ENJOY smaller clothes!  I want to ENJOY my freelance work.  I want to ENJOY time with my children especially whilst they are so little.  I want to ENJOY time as a family.  I want to have time to ENJOY by myself.  Now whilst I hate laundry I do enjoy it being all done and my home clean and tidy, to get another cleaner would probably suggest I headed back to the workplace – so sadly I’m not off the hook on domestic chores, just to explain some of the small print I’ve made up for myself!

This is a meme so I am going to tag a few folk but if like me resolutions feel too much to commit to consider yourself tagged!  What’s great about this meme is if you don’t need a blog to post your thoughts, if you just tweet you can still join in!  I’d love to know what the following folk would have as their #Themewords

Jordan Fleet
Sarah Walters
Clare at Love Maternity
Claire over at The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Wendy over at The Life of Wendy Wife
Dany at Tums2Mums
Bec over at Beetroot and Gherkins
Muddling Along Mummy
Violet Posy
Stefanie Hopkins
Bumbling Along

Search #themeword on Twitter to see everyone who has been Tweeting their #themeword.

Happy New Year!  Please feel free to post or link to your own themewords in the comments below!

Lots of my favourite blogs such as Violet Posy, Are we nearly there yet mummy, Sticky Fingers , Baby Rambles etc. have posted up this favourite photo meme including a tag invitation to anyone who wants it.  I love photo’s and have loved looking through all mine to choose my favourite photo and talk about why it’s my favourite.

I have realised how many great photos I have.  95%+ are of people, the odd landmark but mostly friends, family and occasionally even I stray in front of the lens!  So I’ve looked through the old ones I’ve got round to scanning, the wedding ones, the honeymoon ones, the parties, the hen do’s, other people’s weddings, the 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th Birthdays, the christenings, the baby photo’s and oh my there are so many of those!  How much my two children look-alike is a bit scary!  But the one I have chosen is the one I have on my wall at home and in a frame in another room and in my head as a crystal clear memory of good times, great friends, fun, love and laughter.  So here it is:

Left to right:  we have one of my best and oldest friends Squiff, me in the middle and Mr L in Bangkok 2004. 

This is a “self take” hurtling through Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk on our way to the Bangkok Bed Supper Club where we had one of the best meals and nights out ever. 

Anyone reading this that wants to join in then consider yourself tagged, I’d love to see all your favourite photos.