What's Hot
TV The new year heralds the start of a lot of great new TV shows and the return of many favourites that disappeared over the festive period. American Horror Story - Asylum is one of the best things I've seen on TV for a while. I love the bravery of the producers to use the same cast from the first series, throwing them into different roles and settings. Genius! It's very scary with great special effects and incredibly creepy music. Other favourites include Pram Face, Revenge, Glee, Dancing on Ice (don't judge me) and the imminent return of series 7 of Dexter! I know I am a bit of a telly addict but I love sitting on my sofa with the kids being entertained. I am so easily pleased :)
My Crock Pot Slow Cooker this has been a bit of an under used product in my kitchen until recently. I don't know why it has taken me so long to appreciate the benefit of chucking in the ingredients in the morning and having a warming dinner ready to serve up in the evening. I guess Freddy being at nursery has made this easier as prior to that I would have a demanding toddler trying to 'help' (or attempting to wield knives and throw vegetables). Warming stews with dumplings are the perfect antidote to this cold weather.
JooMo It may only be a face wash but it has been quite life changing! This is the first winter that my face hasn't flared up with an attack of red, inflamed and itchy dry skin. I put that down to using JooMo which is made of all natural ingredients. It's all I use now and it works.
Being A Grandma I get to have cuddles and feel all the love in the world, but I have none of the responsibility. Holding newborn Ted I wondered how I ever coped with a baby. It suddenly felt like an enormous task to have to look after an infant. I knew at that moment that my own baby producing days are over. Plus I know the joy of welcoming the next generation into our family and it's wonderful.
What's Not
This Weather It's cold...but not impressively so. It is still wet and the waterlogged fields and high rivers are not subsiding giving rise to a lingering degree of worry and concern. We are told it will snow but then it doesn't. A few weeks ago it was unseasonably mild and many flowers started to make a tentative appearance. They have all died. I guess this is typical UK weather with its non-distinct seasons, where our little island is at the mercy of the weather fronts that come in from around the planet. But it is still suckish not knowing what will happen from one week to the next.
Bugs The kids have only been back at school for 5 minutes and both Ella and Kizzy have got poorly. Ella was off yesterday and Kizzy was sent home today. The post Christmas spread of germs is always a problem and is a reminder of how easily serious epidemics can occur. I don't feel right, but I just have to get on with things whilst feeling slightly sick, slightly coldy and slightly dizzy. Oh the joys!
Sponsored NSPCC Event I am all for helping out charitable causes when I can. Yesterday Kizzy came home really excited about the assembly she had had at school that morning. A woman from the NSPCC had come to their school to talk about the work of the charity. It included some very emotive material which pulled at Kizzy's heart strings. Her school is taking part in some sponsored sporting events on behalf of the charity. I usually sponsor her for a few pounds as do her grandparents. However, the NSPCC encourage kids to get as many sponsors as they can by offering a reward system. A green badge for up to three sponsors, escalating to a gold medal for those who fill the whole sheet with sponsors. The kids were told to get their parents to take the form to work to ask colleagues to sponsor them to get as many names on the form as they could to get the gold medal. When I said to Kizzy that this wasn't happening she was disappointed. Am I just mean or is this method of fundraising just fundamentally flawed? How much of the much needed funds are spent producing badges and medals (which will probably wind up in the bin eventually anyway)? Why should children be made to feel like they have let the charity down if they don't get a gold medal? Why do the children contributing need a reward at all? This is to raise much needed cash for underprivileged and at risk children. Knowing you have contributed in any way should be reward enough. Do we live in a society where nobody will do anything unless they are personally rewarded? I just think it is all wrong and don't understand that in an economical situation where every penny counts why this charity is wasting our donated cash unnecessarily and turning the fundraising into a competition which causes division and disappointment. Shame.