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Despite the weather, we had a really great morning at a local car boot sale! It was just a small, simple one in the car park of our local community centre, but we bagged some great bargains, including this hat and coat for my little Angel:




They're pure wool, absolutely gorgeous! And the best thing was that they were only 20p, for the set! Can you believe that?

I also found some bargain books: The Cat in the Hat (and also his return), and Sarah Waters' Night watch in hardback for me, which were only 10p each. We went with a pocketful of change and only spend about £3 in all, though we all came back happy!

When the weather is warmer, we sometimes go to the major car boot sales out in the country, which can take hours to walk around! These sales are such a good place for bargain buys: we've built up a huge collection of Disney videos this way as they're usually around 50p each (whereas new ones are upwards of £10 in the shops), and always look out for mirrors, beautiful vases, fittings and other household stuff that we can buy for next to nothing.

If you ever fancy trying a car boot sale yourself, here's a few tips to get the most out of it:
  • Wear old shoes and trousers: car boot sales can be very muddy!
  • Have lots of loose change. When things cost 10p, you don't want to ask for change from a £20 note! Also, it's easier to barter when you have the right money!
  • Barter for everything! There are no fixed prices at car boot sales, and sellers almost always tell you a price higher than they will accept (even if it is already cheap!)
  • Take carrier bags, as sellers often run out!
  • Go very early if you want to find the best sales. Later in the day, such treasures will have already been snapped up!
  • Go quite late if you are looking for cheap bargains: as sellers are packing up, they are much more likely to sell you that beautiful green glass vase for 20p when their earlier asking price was £2!
  • Similarly, going on a day when the weather's bad will help you bag the bargains, as sellers just want to get rid of their stuff and go home!

Car boot sales are great for buying kids toys too. Last year, money was a bit short so we went to the sales just before the kids birthdays and found loads of great stuff they wanted which we otherwise couldn't afford. Clothes in every shape, size and design are found in plenty, so if you don't mind laundering second-hand clothes, there are designer bargains galore.

If you want to find listings of car boot sales in your ares, try CarBootCalendar.com which features all major UK car boot sales, flea markets and antiques fairs. Friday Ads also have regular listings of such sales and you can narrow your search by postcode.

An alternative, If you prefer to keep your boots clean, is to visit visit ibootsale from the comfort of your own home! You can even list items for free if there are things lying about at home that you want to get rid of.

Do let me know if you're a lover of car boot sales too by leaving your comments below. And if you're a CBS virgin, why not go out and visit one with the kids? It's a very cheap day out!

Technorati Tags: car+boot+sale bargains days+out
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A while back, a routine smear showed that I had abnormal cells: a pre-cancerous condition called dyskaryosis. I panicked at first, as I'm sure many women do when their smear results show abnormalities. After all, we don't often discuss our private female parts!

I was more than relieved to learn that dyskaryosis is not cancer, merely a condition which could become cancerous if left untreated for a number of years. Ten to fifteen years, as the doctors explained, though of course I wasn't taking any chances! I was referred to the hospital for a colposcopy (a detailed examination of the cervix) in order to find the most appropriate course of treatment. For me, this meant removing the affected cells using a treatment called diathermic loop: where heat is passed through a loop-type instrument to cut away the bad parts and cauterise the skin to prevent bleeding and infection.

It may sound painful, but believe me it wasn't! I had my treatment yesterday, and I wonder now why I'd got so worked up about the treatment in the first place! After the initial consultation and explanations, the treatment itself only lasted a matter of minutes and I barely felt a thing. Just a little aching and light headedness. I still ache a little now, and was told to expect some bleeding for the next few weeks until all is healed. No tampons, bubble bath or sex for a whole month, but this is a small price to pay for peace of mind, I'm sure!

For the next few years, I'll need smears more regularly than usual, just to make sure the problem doesn't return. And if it does, early detection will ensure it is most easily treated!

Most instances of cervical cancer occur because women have "slipped through the net" and haven't been screened as regularly as they could be. So, if it's been a long time since your last smear, please do yourself a favor and have one done. I know they're not pleasant and most uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, I'm sure you'd prefer to know you are healthy, or discover a small problem which can be easily treated, than leave it too long and discover the worst!

Technorati Tags: dyskaryosis diathermic+loop cervix cancer
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A while back, a routine smear showed that I had abnormal cells: a pre-cancerous condition called dyskaryosis. I panicked at first, as I'm sure many women do when their smear results show abnormalities. After all, we don't often discuss our private female parts!

I was more than relieved to learn that dyskaryosis is not cancer, merely a condition which could become cancerous if left untreated for a number of years. Ten to fifteen years, as the doctors explained, though of course I wasn't taking any chances! I was referred to the hospital for a colposcopy (a detailed examination of the cervix) in order to find the most appropriate course of treatment. For me, this meant removing the affected cells using a treatment called diathermic loop: where heat is passed through a loop-type instrument to cut away the bad parts and cauterise the skin to prevent bleeding and infection.

It may sound painful, but believe me it wasn't! I had my treatment yesterday, and I wonder now why I'd got so worked up about the treatment in the first place! After the initial consultation and explanations, the treatment itself only lasted a matter of minutes and I barely felt a thing. Just a little aching and light headedness. I still ache a little now, and was told to expect some bleeding for the next few weeks until all is healed. No tampons, bubble bath or sex for a whole month, but this is a small price to pay for peace of mind, I'm sure!

For the next few years, I'll need smears more regularly than usual, just to make sure the problem doesn't return. And if it does, early detection will ensure it is most easily treated!

Most instances of cervical cancer occur because women have "slipped through the net" and haven't been screened as regularly as they could be. So, if it's been a long time since your last smear, please do yourself a favor and have one done. I know they're not pleasant and most uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, I'm sure you'd prefer to know you are healthy, or discover a small problem which can be easily treated, than leave it too long and discover the worst!

Technorati Tags: dyskaryosis diathermic+loop cervix cancer
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This video may give you an idea of the great floods we have been experiencing here in Sheffield. My family and I have all been very lucky: our homes and businesses have escaped most of the flood damage and danger. For those whose homes have been wrecked by the bursting rivers, and those families tragically devastated by death and injury, I offer my heartfelt prayers.

Technorati Tags: sheffield | floods | flooding | yorkshire | river+don | flood+video

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This video may give you an idea of the great floods we have been experiencing here in Sheffield. My family and I have all been very lucky: our homes and businesses have escaped most of the flood damage and danger. For those whose homes have been wrecked by the bursting rivers, and those families tragically devastated by death and injury, I offer my heartfelt prayers.

Technorati Tags: sheffield | floods | flooding | yorkshire | river+don | flood+video

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Continuing my Tasty Tuesdays series of quick, simple dishes, I'd like to present you with a really easy recipe my kids love to eat: Quick Kiddie Carbonara. Okay, so it isn't strictly carbonara since it doesn't involve making any tricky sauces, but it's fast, fun and good for them. So why not give it a try?

Here's what you'll need to serve four hungry people (halve these amounts of you're only cooking for two):

  • A packet of spaghetti (or your preferred pasta)
  • Four rashers of lean bacon (we use turkey bacon instead) chopped into bite sized pieces.
  • A cup of grated cheddar cheese
  • 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • A knob of butter (or a drizzle of olive oil)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

And here's how to make it:

  1. Boil your pasta as directed (the time will change depending on the type of pasta used)
  2. Fry the bacon in just a little oil until they are cooked. You could grill them, but be sure not to make them too crispy!
  3. When the pasta is cooked, rinse with hot water from the kettle, drain and transfer to a big bowl.
  4. Add a knob of butter (or a drizzle of olive oil), the mayonnaise and chopped bacon rashers. Mix well. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. You could always omit this step for the kids, and season only the grown-ups portions instead!
  5. Share between four bowls and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Enjoy!

You could make varieties of this using different ingredients instead of the bacon. We've tried and tested canned tuna and cooked chicken breast, which are also heartily enjoyed in this recipe. The kids love to help me cook this as it's simple enough for them to do a lot of the preparation themselves!

Next week, I'll be posting a recipe for us parents to enjoy. In the meantime, why not have a look at previous Tasty Tuesday recipes for more simple recipe ideas?

Technorati Tags: tasty+tuesdays simple+food kids+recipes carbonara

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Here in Sheffield we've had the worst rainfall in many years. We've been issued severe flood warnings, rivers have burst their banks, traffic is at a standstill, and several people have been hospitalised due to the floods.

But it's not all doom and gloom! Safe at home we've been devising a list of things to do on a rainy day, to help you and your little ones feel much more cheerful amidst the rainclouds!

Here's what we've come up with so far:


  • Find an old shoe box and fill it with bits and pieces from around the house (scraps of paper, magazine cuttings, unused fabric, feathers, stickers, etc.). Let the kids decorate the box with all the bits and pieces you've found. This can become your "rainy day box"!

  • Get dressed up in all your waterproofs and wellingtons, then have fun splashing around in puddles!

  • Venture into the back garden to find snails. The kids can have great fun seeing how many snails they can find, comparing the shells etc.

  • Find some pictures or postcards of warm sunny locations and make a collage.

  • Then, the kids could get dressed up in summery clothes and pretend they are on holiday instead!

  • Create a rain-themed karaoke with any "rainy day" songs you can find (eg: "singing in the rain", "When it's raining it's raining", "Sunshine on a rainy day"). Or just sing nursery rhymes about the rain instead (Mama Lisa has some great ones here)

We've stuck this list to the inside of our "rainy day box" with room to add more as we think of them. Then next time it rains, we can be sure the kids won't be bored!


Technorati Tags: rainy+day things+to+do entertaining+children

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I love blogging, and since I've been asked so many questions about the customisations I made to this blog, I decided to start another: Blogger Buster!

My new blog is solely about blogging, featuring posts about customisations, domains, SEO, widgets and loads of other blogging inspired posts. I'm no expert at blogging, but I do like to help others out when I can, so my posts are about things that I've tried and successfully accomplished myself.

You can see my new blog here:

http://www.bloggerbuster.com/

Please let me know what you think, or if there's a specific blogging question you'd like me to try and answer in a post!

Technorati Tags: blogger+buster blogger blogging resources customisations
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Over at Simple Living, Miranda, Sharon and other participants have set themselves a very honourable task: to cut their personal carbon emissions by 90% of that of the average American: the approximate amount people in the rich world need to reduce by in order to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Anyone can join in this task by linking to the Simple Living blog or commenting on their posts. Their blog features loads of great energy saving tips which not only help save the environment but will also drastically cut down on household and utility bills too! What a great idea!

The goal is to cut down to 90% of the average American's emissions over the course of a year (or your country's average emissions if you don't live in the US). What with our family's reduction on amenities and such lately, I do believe that we're already below the UK average, though I'll certainly be reading through Simple Living's advice to see what else we can do to reduce even more. It would certainly be a difficult feat for us to reduce by 90%, but as the video shows, there are a great many ways we can help protect the environment simply by making different choices about the way we live our lives.

Technorati Tags: environment green utility+bills carbon+footprint emissions saving+money simple+living

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I'm SO thrilled! My little Angel has used her potty for the first time this morning. And not just a pee-pee, but a poopy too!

We've been trying for weeks to get her interested (and willing) to use the potty, and until today it just hasn't worked. She'd sit for ages on the potty while we read books, played games and such, yet as soon as she realised she needed to go, she'd scream for a nappy to be put on, and refused point blank to pee where we wanted! Wet pants didn't work; neither did "going to the toilet with mum".

So I was so surprised when she came to tell me there was poopy in the potty, especially as she'd taken off her own nappy and purposefully sat down!

What happened? Why did she suddenly change her mind? I really don't know, and wish I did so I could help other mummies in the same position. After lots and lots of praise I only hope she'll do the same next time. We're a long way off from establishing the habit yet, I know. But what a breakthrough!

Hooray!!

Technorati Tags: potty toilet training toddlers learning kids
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To my Little Angel,

This morning you were so excited: it's your first day of nursery school, and you just couldn't wait to go and play with the yellow teapot and paint Daddy a picture of a pussycat! Since we went for a brief visit last week, you haven't stopped talking about "nursery school" to anyone who would listen: even strangers we pass in the street! You're 28 months old now and are so grown up. A little girl, and not my little baby anymore, though you always will be in my heart.


I wanted you to pose for a photo as we went in the nursery gates, yet all you wanted to do was get inside and play. I was quite nervous for you: after all, this was the first time I'd ever left you in someone else's' care, except for the odd occasion when Daddy and I have been out in the evening when your Auntie would stay and read stories for you and your brother until you both fell asleep! Daddy was even more nervous than me: his little princess was venturing out into the world for the first time. No wonder he spoiled you with a new bag, clothes, lunchboxes and a huge basket of fruit to share with your friends!

When we went inside, you immediately ran over to the little play kitchen to look for the teapot you remembered from the last session. At first you ignored me when I asked for a kiss to say goodbye. Until you realised that the teapot was nowhere to be seen and needed me to find it for you! Straight away you began to make friends, handing out the plastic cups and spoons for the tea party you must have been planning all week. It was so good to watch you interact with the other children: how generous and friendly you were; all smiles and excitement, though perhaps a little shy to talk much at first.

When it came time for me to say goodbye, you didn't want to wave or even acknowledge that I was leaving. "It's probably a good thing" the teachers said as I made my exit with tears in my eyes. Though I didn't want you to be upset, I really wanted to feel that you'd miss me. Since the day you were born, I've always been your playmate; your comfort giver, the one you go to sleep with each night. And though I know you're growing up now, I don't ever want that feeling of being needed to go away.

I came to collect you a few minutes before the session ended, so you wouldn't feel left out if you saw other mummies leaving with their children first. When I entered the classroom, you didn't notice me straight away, and I stood and watched for a few moments as you finished your doodling, concentrating so hard on where the lines went as though it meant so much to you! When you finally noticed I was there, you dropped your pen and ran right over to give me a great big lovely hug that moved me so much with your affection, especially as you sobbed slightly, having seemed to miss me so much!

"She cried a little bit when she realised you were gone," explained the teacher. "But not much! She's played really well with all the other children." Exactly what I'd expected, if I'm honest. My little Angel is such a caring and affectionate little love that I can't imagine her being aggressive, or even rude.
I'm so glad that you had a good time at nursery school. On the way home, you told me all about the games you played, the "painting-drawing", the "dress up" and "kickey ball" in the yard.

"Do you want to go again next week?" I asked, as she sat in the back seat, eyes drooping with utter tiredness.

"Um," she replied smiling. "I go to nursery school again!"
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I found this gorgeous little widget at WidgetBox.com which I just had to share with you:










The countdown on this one isn't for me, but shows the due date for my friend who's recently discovered she's expecting after a long period of infidelity. I just know she'll love it when she sees it!

To get your own free baby countdown timer which is fully customisable, visit this link:

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/baby-ticker

Technorati Tags: pregnancy baby babies countdown widget free widgetbox

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I found this gorgeous little widget at WidgetBox.com which I just had to share with you:










The countdown on this one isn't for me, but shows the due date for my friend who's recently discovered she's expecting after a long period of infidelity. I just know she'll love it when she sees it!

To get your own free baby countdown timer which is fully customisable, visit this link:

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/baby-ticker

Technorati Tags: pregnancy baby babies countdown widget free widgetbox

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Every so often, a subject arises which I simply must air my thoughts about. This may not be something you wish to hear about, and I do apologise for any upset I may cause. But I have to write this post because this evening I saw a news article on TV which upset me so deeply I fear I may have nightmares about it.

The story was in fact good news: an international paedophile ring has been cracked: over 100 arrests have been made in the UK alone, and over 700 suspects worldwide. Over 30 children in the UK have been saved from abuse.

Children as young as a few months old.

This is what distresses me most of all.

Just a few words spoken by the spokesman for the Police paedophile unit, just a hint of what had been found on the "Son of God's" website, was enough to make me feel utterly sick. It brought me to tears.

As far as I'm concerned, these "animals" are the scum of the earth. In fact, they don't even deserve to be called animals, for no other living creature would perform such atrocities on their young. In recent weeks, we've heard news about voluntary "castration drugs" which could be offered to convicted paedophiles. Why stop at "voluntary", and even "drugs"?

I hate to write about such a terrible subject. More so, I feel disgusted that such things happen in our world. Yet when I was watching the news feature, I couldn't switch it over. Like watching a horror film, I had to see it through to the end, to find the happy ending, to know that there are people who fight such atrocious crimes and bring those guilty to justice:

"I'm absolutely delighted with the sentence. He [the coordinator of the ring] could be imprisoned for a very, very long time," said Michele Elliott, founder of the child protection charity Kidscape. "I am delighted that police forces in 35 countries have come together to ensure that kids are a little bit safer on the Internet." (Turkishpress.com)
Though thankfully, my family and I have never been victims of such atrocities, I feel so grateful to the CEOP and other agencies for helping keep our kids safe. Let's hope that these arrests serve as true deterrent.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Technorati Tags: paedophile | arrests | abuse | protect+children | childrens+safety |
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Netmums.co.uk is a parenting site I visit regularly as it is a truly wonderful resource for UK mums! As well as parenting tips, advice for children of all ages, recipes, information and more, there are local forums you can access for help, info and advice on issues in your area. Or simply just to chat and meet other mums!

Why not pop on over and see for yourself? I'm sure you'll agree this is probably the best UK based parenting site yet!

Technorati Tags: parenting parenting+sites recommended netmums local+information kids children
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Before you get worried, I'm not suggesting that you hypnotise your little angels in order to teach them good behaviour! This is something I came across a few weeks ago, discovered that it seems to work, and thought I'd share with you other mums and dads who may be interested too.

On Derren Brown's website, I came across a section about the power of suggestion (for those of you unfamiliar with Derren Brown, he is a "magician" of sorts, mostly interested in psychology and misdirection, and very entertaining!). Derren explains that all suggestions to a person's behaviour should be positive in order to be successful: negative suggestions simply do not work on the subconscious mind.

IE: if I were to say "Don't think about butterflies", what would be the first insect which popped into your head? On the other hand, if I were to say "Think about bumble bees" instead, you would probably not think of butterflies at all.

Are you with me so far?

Well, going on from this, my thoughts strayed to the kids, and how they almost always do the opposite of what I say to them. Especially Little Angel! When I say "don't touch that!", she invariably does so anyway. Highly frustrating! So I decided to do a little experiment: as often as I could remember to do so, I changed the phrases I use when chastising the kids, some examples being:
  • Instead of "don't touch that", try "leave it alone"
  • Rather than "don't go into the busy road", I'd say "stay on the pavement".

I made a mental note each time as to whether or not it worked. I didn't expect it to, kids being kids and all, but you know what? It worked more often then not. Which is a big difference, considering my "suggestions" previously had caused such endless frustration at the lack of accomplishment!

So perhaps kids are more susceptible to the power of suggestion than we adults feel we are. Any more childcare tips Derren?

Technorati Tags: derren+brown kids behaviour children psychology mind+control parenting

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As the old saying goes: "it's raining cats and dogs today!" Truly, I've never known weather like this! Here in Sheffield, we're usually protected from bad floods because our city is built on seven hills. Yet today, so very many roads are flooded, schools are closed and many many homes have been evacuated due to immense flooding.
The photo above was taken a few hours ago, and the rain has not stopped since. You really wouldn't believe that just last week we were all wading around in shorts complaining that it was too hot!

In a few moments, I need to collect my little man from school. I do hope I manage to battle the traffic and get there safely!
Edit: I think most people have finally got the message about the flooding: we went to school and back through hardly any traffic or floods whatsoever. I'm so relieved that my family are all safe after reading stories of the elderly whisked out of their homes and drivers stranded in giant "puddles" having to wade through rivers which were once roads. I do hope things clear up soon! If things are so bad here in Sheffield, then I dread to imagine how bad they must be on lower land areas of the country...

Technorati Tags: sheffield floods traffic roads freak+weather rain
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Literally speaking, that is!

Scientists have recently discovered that reading a racy novel can increase your metabolic rate and help you burn more calories:

On average, we burn around one calorie per minute when sitting still, but reading encourages the production of adrenaline, causing BMR to rise to up to 1.75 calories per minute, say the researchers, commissioned by book store Borders. (DailyMail.co.uk)

Could this really be true: substituting a trip to the gym for a mammoth reading session? Sounds too good to be true, but certainly rather interesting. What do you think?

More information:

  • How a racy read can help you stay slim
  • Can you really read yourself slim?

Technorati Tags: slimming diet reading metabolic+rate

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This is why i look forward to the school holidays
Originally uploaded by AmandaFaz.


The photo is of the road next to my son's school. As you can see, there are dozens of cars parked on the road. And this is actually 30 minutes before home time! Seriously, the traffic around here is awful. I'd love to be able to walk to school (as i'm sure most of these car owners could) but we live 4 miles away and it would take up hours to do so. Ah well, i made the choice to keep my son in this great school when we moved house, so i ought to put up with an hour's worth of traffic each morning and afternoon for the privelage. But with the traffic getting worse by the week, i can't help looking forward to the holidays!

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This is why i look forward to the school holidays
Originally uploaded by AmandaFaz.


The photo is of the road next to my son's school. As you can see, there are dozens of cars parked on the road. And this is actually 30 minutes before home time! Seriously, the traffic around here is awful. I'd love to be able to walk to school (as i'm sure most of these car owners could) but we live 4 miles away and it would take up hours to do so. Ah well, i made the choice to keep my son in this great school when we moved house, so i ought to put up with an hour's worth of traffic each morning and afternoon for the privelage. But with the traffic getting worse by the week, i can't help looking forward to the holidays!

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Quite a while back, I posted about my love of designer cosmetics, and how i rarely say full price for them. Well here's proof: a free, gratis Chanel lipstick which landed in my mailbox this morning. It really is worth signing up to mailing lists for your favorite brands, which is how I managed to blag this lovely lippie. It certainly made my day!

I think the promotion may have ended now, but you can still sign up for the Chanel email newsletter and receive other freebies/product updates using this link. Also, if you visit your local Chanel counter, you can ask to be included in the mailing list, and will be able to collect a little bag of sample skincare and make-up every couple of months.

See, designer cosmetics don't always have the designer price tag to match!

Technorati Tags: chanel lipstick rouge+allure free samples cosmetics freebies

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After the recent TV advertisements about CO2 emissions, I decided to try and work out just how big our family's carbon footprint is. Despite the recent shock at the costs of our gas and electricity bills, I'm pleased to say that our family's footprint is slightly below the UK average: 7612kg per person, compared to the UK average of 10963kg. Hopefully our recent clampdown on the cost of bills will help to reduce this even more.

I also made an interesting discovery: BioDiesel.

Biodiesel is a fuel that can be used in any diesel powered vehicle. It is
biodegradable and non-toxic. Biodiesel is a fantastic way of reducing your
carbon footprint as it only releases the carbon dioxide that the plants absorbed
whilst growing, therefore there is no negative impact on the carbon cycle.

Mum actually mentioned a while ago that her friend had set up a Biodiesel distribution company; cheap, clean fuel I can use in my car without having to make any modifications to the engine. Now that I know more about it, I'd certainly like to give it a try. It's a pity Biodiesel isn't sold in petrol stations yet...

For more information about your CO2 emissions, or to work out your family's carbon footprint, try these links:

  • jointhebiggerpicture.co.uk
  • CO2 calculator
  • Act on CO2

Related posts:

  • Save money on your amenity bills (and be more environmentally friendly!)
  • Green cleaning really can save you money!

Technorati Tags: climate+challenge co2 carbon footprint saving+energy environment going+green

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After a smear test recently, I discovered that I have severe dyskaryosis of trhe cervix. I have to admit that I cried when I first read the letter from the hospital. I'd expected my smear test results to come back all clear, believing I was too young to have cancer or anything like that. And being rather uneducated in the field of "women troubles", I feared the worst.

Thankfully, my GP, the staff at the hospital, my father and the internet all managed to convince me that it isn't cancer: it's actually an abnormality of my cervix which could one day become cancer if not treated. Meaning ten to fifteen years from now. Thank God!

Yet I am still anxious. I need to go for treatment, which involved having the abnormal cells scraped off using a process called diathermy. I know it's nothing particularly serious: I'll be in and out of the out-patients' department in less than an hour; after effects will include only period pains and bleeding for a couple of weeks. However, I hate the thoughts of having to spread my legs again in front of a room of strangers (as I did during my colposcopy a couple of weeks back); I'm worried that the poroblem may not go away; I'm worried about being ill when the kids need me to be super mommy.

But at the end of the day, I'm so happy that the problem isn't cancer or any other serious abnormality. My problem can be treated quickly and easily; I shouldn't worry about it, I'll be fine. I know I will, deep down.

I just wish this anxiety would go away...

Technorati Tags: dyskaryosis | diathermy | cancer | cervix | cervical | treatment | womens+problems | health | hospital

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Or so I like to believe! Phyllis Diller also said that "Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."

So very true!

There are loads of great quotes about housework over at Quote Garden. I'm off to read some more to help me cheep up before I tackle the mess of my bathroom...

Technorati Tags: quotes housework tidiness tidy home
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Uh-oh!
Originally uploaded by
AmandaFaz.


In a few minutes i need to take my little angel to see the doctor for her (overdue) jabs. Really dreading this. I low exactly what she's going to do: scream and run! And then blame me. I wish i could make her understand...

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Tunisian fricassee is a "fast-food" style snack that is often sold in the streets. It could be described as a fried sandwich (so unfortunately, these should really only be served as a special treat), but I almost died of culinary delight the first time I was given one! However, it isn't an easy dish to make, and does require some patience as you wait for the dough to rise. I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do once you try one.

Here's what you'll need:

  • Plain flour (about 200g)
  • Dried yeast (the type you'd use to make bread)
  • A spoonful of sugar (to help the yeast make the dough rise)
  • Cold water
  • Tin of tuna
  • Two medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
  • Red and/or green peppers
  • Mayonnaise and/or chili paste
  • Sunflower oil for deep frying
  • A couple of hard boiled eggs
  • Black pitted olives
  • Salt and pepper

Here's what to do:
  1. Firstly you need to prepare dough in the same way as you would if you were making bread. The method may differ depending on the type of yeast you are using, so if in doubt, refer to the bread making instructions found on the packet of yeast! Here's what I do (and please bear in mind that I don't use a measuring jug or scales: I've gotten good at making fricassee now!). In a large mixing bowl, I put 14 heaped dessert spoons of plain flour. In a small bowl, I mix 1 tbsp of dried yeast granules, 1 tbsp of granulated sugar and a little water then leave until it froths. This mixture is then added to the flour with a little salt and mixed thoroughly, adding more water as necessary until it forms a thick dough which comes away from the sides of the bowl.
  2. Leave the dough to rise for at least an hour until it has doubled in size. I put mine in a warn place, covered with a tea-towel and a saucepan lid to help the process along.
  3. While you're waiting for the dough, peel the potatoes and chop into very small cubes (about 1-2 cm) and boil in slightly salted water until cooked (IE: they slide off a fork when you try to skewer them).
  4. De-seed the pepper(s) and chop finely into very small cubes. Do the same with half a cucumber if you like this in salads too.
  5. Heat your oil to a very high temperature. I use a chip-frying pan for this as it seems the safest option. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a cube of bread into the oil: it should become a crisp crouton in no less than 4 seconds!
  6. Hopefully by now your dough will have risen to twice its size. You'll need to knead it thoroughly again and ensure it is of a good consistency (it should bounce back into shape if you push your finger in).
  7. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface, and pull out a handful of the dough. Roll into a ball shape, and then squish into a flat oblong shape about 1/2 to 1cm thick. Gently place this into the hot oil and watch it rise into the shape of a small rugby ball. It will rise to the surface of the oil, so when the submerged side browns, flip it over to brown the other side (this usually takes a couple of minutes), then scoop out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl lined with absorbent kitchen towels to blot excess oil.
  8. This first fricassee will most likely be the worst of the batch, so only fry one alone at first. When this is cooked, you could try 2/3 at a time, being careful to watch they don't burn!
  9. Once you've used all of your dough (the mixture should make around 12), leave them to cool a little while you get your fillings together. Then slice them open at one side.
  10. Fricassee fillings greatly depend on your tastes: in Tunisia, they are "buttered" with Harissa (a very hot regional chili paste) and filled with tuna, cooked potatoes and salad. I prefer to forgo the harissa and use mayonnaise instead, along with potatoes, tuna, peppers and cucumber.
  11. Top with slices of hard boiled eggs and black olives, sit back and enjoy!

Whilst Tunisian fricassee are best eaten warm, they are still rather tasty when cooled and are great for lunchboxes and picnics (though they only really keep for a day in the fridge before going soggy). Experiment with different fillings, such as cooked chicken, traditional salads and eggs to discover new tastes and styles. Any way I'm sure you'll enjoy them!

More Tasty Tuesday recipes:

  • Tunisian Tagine
  • Easy Peasy Tunisian Salad
  • Tasty Tuesdays overview

Technorati Tags: tunisian | recipes | fricassee | fried+sandwich | tuna | harissa | cuisine | food | tasty

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Over the weekend, I made use of some old muslin squares (previously used when burping little Angel!) by sewing together and filling with pot pourri. I then tied them with some pretty ribbon left over from Christmas wrapping. They cost me next to nothing to make; in fact I'm quite proud of my handiwork (especially as I sewed them by hand!).

One trick I've learnt is to hide one under the seat cushions on the sofa; whenever anyone sits down, a waft of the lovely scented pot pourri is released to help make your lounge smell sweet! I also hung some in the wardrobes so our clothes smell nice too.

Why not give it a try yourself if you have any unused fabric lying around the house?

Technorati Tags: pot+pourri lavender bags home+made scent fragrance home craft+ideas
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It had to be done...
Originally uploaded by
AmandaFaz.



After all that indecision, i decided that I'd at least strip the bathroom walls. Much hard work and shredded fingers! Now the preparation has been done, the actual decoration shouldn't be too bad. But as you probably know already, wherever there are children around, even the simplest of jobs can easily become a nightmare!

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I almost choked when my friend called to tell me that the colourful BBC show, Teletubbies, was being investigated, and could possibly be banned!

"Whatever for?" I asked.

"Well, apparantly, the purple one is a bit gay," she replied.

"Well, yes: Tinky Winky is rather camp!" I can surely forgive her for overreacting, since she's pregnant with her first little angel and has never seen the show herself. Not to mention the emotional hormones flying around. But a scandal about Teletubbies? I had to find out for myself what the furore was about.

Apparently, Poland have been investigating the show after Ewa Sowinska , a campaigner for children's rights, had asked for psychologists to review the show since it promoted homosexuality. However, Parliamentary Speaker Ludwig Dorn has warned Sowinska against making comments "that may turn her department into a laughing stock."

Here's a link to the full story: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2007/05/29/teletubbies-poland-tv.html

In my opinion, there is very little in this world that could be deemed more innocent than the Teletubbies! And after seeing various clips of verbal innuendo from the previously popular preschool show, Rainbow, I know what I prefer my daughter to watch!

Technorati Tags: ewa+sowinska teletubbies tinky+winky gay homosexual scandal

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