Show Me, Show Me...An Ageless Chris!

Back in 1993, my son Joseph, then aged 5, made some sausage and bean Dino Pasty-Saurus pasties and won a Flinstone's cookery competition that saw us fly out to Los Angeles to celebrate the opening of the Flinstone's movie and attraction at Universal Studios.  Yabba-dabba-doo!!

At the photoshoot, we were joined by an up and coming TV presenter, Chris Jarvis.  He was charming and handsome and we just knew he'd go on to have a great career!

Fast forward to 20 years later, and I was invited to have a top secret, sneaky peek of the set of the new series of CBeebies' Show Me Show Me with my three youngest children. We got to meet the stars of the show,  Pui and her lovely co-host Chris Jarvis!  He really hasn't changed at all...still charming and handsome!

We watched the filming of a new on-location episode of Show Me Show Me which featured Miss Mouse as a bride and Chris and Pui throwing confetti.  It really was amazing watching what goes into the filming and the behind the scenes activity involved.  The set is superb and colourful.  Chris and Pui are so professional, having perfected the CBeebies, kid-friendly presenting that we all love. It was very impressive and they were both absolutely lovely people.

Whatever it is that Chris has that keeps him looking so young and so full of energy should be bottled...I'd buy some of his bottled joie de vivre, that's for sure!

The new series of Show Me Show Me, starts Monday 28th October at 10.05am on CBeebies

"Come out and play with Chris, Pui and all the toys as they explore their brand-new playground outside. Bursting with colour, it’s the perfect space to inspire young imaginations.  There’s a giant birdhouse, a bandstand, a big slide, magical woods and hills to clamber up.

In every episode, Chris and Pui explore two themes, from bread to blackbirds, robots to colanders and confetti to roadsweepers - anything can become the start of an adventure outdoors."

We've Seen Andy and Mike's Tick Tock Time Machine

Today we headed to Oakengate's Theatre in Telford to see Andy & Mike's Tick Tock Time Machine.  Freddy was very excited about meeting yet another CBeebies presenter and watching the show.  It was his first visit to a proper theatre and he excitedly took his seat in the second row with a great view of the stage.  We bought him a light up wand to wave during the performance!

The show started with instant high energy action that set the scene for the next 90 minutes.  The comedy pairing of Andy and Mike had everyone from the tiniest tots to the mums and dads laughing out loud and joining in with some interactive fun and games.

The story is based around Andy and Mike discovering a time machine invented by Andy's great great great grandfather Wally Bum *cue sniggers* which uses the power of a "flush" capacitor to transport them back and forward through time.  The kid-friendly toilet humour comes in bucketloads!

Their adventure takes them back to the Wild West and to Medieval Times and then forward to the 23rd century. They have to find some important objects and deliver them to the future in a bid to help save Future Mike from a rather odd fate involving Babybel Cheese!

The two man show adopts imaginative use of a shrinking box to turn one of them into a Mini version of themselves (subsequently played by a Ken doll) freeing up the other one to play one of the other roles - such as a hapless sheriff, a posing knight and a futuristic robot.  Audience participation provided another character who appeared repeatedly throughout the show.  It was a well devised idea to keep the action going and maximize the talents of Andy and Mike!  The scenery was minimal, but by rearranging it and turning it round, it transformed the stage into a castle, a jail, Wally Bum's workshop or the future world.

The show contains lots of songs and silly dances which has everyone clapping their hands and stamping their feet.  It also provided us with a very novel way of winning Rock, Paper, Scissors courtesy of Mike!

The banter between the pair added to the entertainment value, with a few gags that made the grown-ups snigger. Andy's ad libbing regarding Mike's sweating was a running gag (literally).  Mike ribbing Andy about his CBeebies presenting and in particular the Number Wrap that he performs with Sid was also very amusing.

The show was a big hit and I think it would translate brilliantly into a CBeebies show seeing the pair travelling through time introducing pre-schoolers to periods from history.  Great fun!  All the kids in the theatre were joining in with the audience participation and laughing at Mike and Andy's antics.  They really know how to entertain children.

After the show we got to meet Andy and Mike in the foyer where the kids got a sticker and a signed photo.  They had so much time for the families who queued up to say hello and it really made the experience special for little CBeebies fans (and those with a 'mummy crush' on Andy!!)

 A collection for the Lullaby Trust was also held as Andy and Mike are supporting this fantastic charity, in memory of Matilda Mae, during their Autumn/Winter tour.  Putting in your small change can really help make a big change, giving support to families affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and providing funding for research into the prevention of SIDS.

Here is a list of upcoming tour dates.  If they are coming to a venue near you, it is well worth a watch if your kids love:  Andy Day/ silly mad-cap adventures / all-singing, all-dancing shows / having fun at the theatre.  It is great entertainment for little ones aged 3 and up.

Autumn/Winter 2013

Sat 26th October Frome, Memorial Theatre 01373 462795

Sun 27th October Malvern, Festival Theatre 01684 892 277

Mon 28th October St. Albans, The Arena 01727 844488

Tues 29th October Worthing, Connaught Theatre 01903 206 206

Wed 30th October Dartford, The Orchard 01322 220000

Thurs 31st October Yeovil, Octagon Theatre 01935 422884

Fri 1st November Porthcawl, The Grand Pavilion 01656 815995

Sun 3rd November Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre 01202 456400

Spring 2014

Sat 15th February Leeds, City Varieties 0113 243 0808

Sun 16th February Lincoln, Theatre Royal 01522 519999

Tues 18th February Redditch, Palace 01527 65203

Wed 19th February Barking, Broadway 020 8507 5607

Thurs 20th February Dorking Halls 01306 881717

Fri 20th February Radlett Centre 01923 859291

Sun 23rd February Dunstable, Grove 01582 60 20 80

Sat 8th March Burnley Mechanics 01282 664400

Sun 9th March Bolton Albert Halls 01204 334400

They are also running a competition in conjunction with Duplo which you can enter by posting a pic on their Facebook page. www.facebook.com/andyandmikes

Find out more at andyandmike.com

We received free tickets to enjoy the show but the opinions are all ours!

What Fred Said and an Urban Picnic

It's been a bit of a taxing week for Freddy.  I think 5 weeks at school is catching up with him and his sleeping and eating have been affected.  He's been so tired after school and I think he's having a growth spurt to add insult to injury.  It's tough being a 4 year 3 month old school boy.

In spite of that, my lovely boy has still given us some gems:

Freddy: Do you know what gravy tastes like?

Nana:  No, can you tell me what gravy tastes like?

Freddy:  Gravy.  (Logical!!)

The girls were talking about the organs of the body (for some reason) and Freddy told them that he had a heart.  They asked him what his heart was for.  He pondered, clasped his hands under his chin and looked to the skies dramatically..."It loves!" he said.

We drove to Manchester today and Freddy was gazing out of the window.  We went past a big electricity pylon.  Freddy said, "Are we in Paris?  They have one of those in Paris."  The pylon did bear an uncanny resemblance to the Eiffel Tower!

Freddy decided that he needed to enjoy a bit of the outdoors this weekend (he clearly wanted to get involved with #countrykids today!)  Before we left for our day in Manchester, for Ella to attend a university open day, Freddy packed himself a picnic.  He packed a cool bag with some food and also put in a blanket.  He announced that he was going to "have a picnic like Peppa Pig did" in the episode he had watched before we left.

  Where was Freddy going to have a picnic?? We were going to Manchester, to the heart of the city.

Freddy was undeterred by this fact and found himself a little concreted spot in the street where he opened up his bag and set down his blanket before tucking into his yummy snacks.  The mild autumn weather was perfect for picnicking, even when there is no grassy spot available.

It proved to me that you don't need to go somewhere fancy for a little one to turn it into an outdoor adventure.  He really makes me smile :)

We encountered an intense storm on the way home which resulted in the biggest, brightest double rainbow that I have ever seen.  Eventually the rainbow disappeared from our view.  My clever boy said "Is that because it isn't sunny and rainy anymore?"  Genius!

We are looking forward to our half term holiday, just one more week to go!  I'm counting the days until I've got Freddy home for a week of rest, relaxation and quality mummy time!

Avengers Wrap-semble and a Blind Taste Test- Lunch Less Ordinary Mission 3

One of this week's challenges to make our  Lunch Less Ordinary with Mission Deli Wraps is an absolute corker! Devise a wrap based on your favourite film!  For a movie lover like myself that is just a great challenge. My mind went into overdrive thinking of various fillings and ways to serve wraps in celebration of our favourite movies.  The Exorcist...a wrap filled with mushy peas?  Gone with the Wind...a baked bean wrap? Or how about a wrap filled with Stilton for the Blues Brothers?

I decided to go with my family's favourite film franchise of the moment...Marvel Superheros and in particular The Avengers!  But one wrap was not enough, oh no! So I've made a wrap based on each of the four big characters:  Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and Thor, each recipe paying homage to our favourite superhero, whilst still being a healthy, simple and delicious lunch.

Iron Man

Iron Man's wrap is naturally packed full of Iron rich food to give us the nutrients we need to be as tough as Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit.  Egg mayonnaise, chopped tomato, sweetcorn, watercress, rocket and spinach salad packs an iron rich punch to lunchtime, and pays homage to the famous red and yellow suit. A sprinkle of chilli flakes and a twist of black pepper give it a kick befitting a superhero's lunch!

Boiled egg, mayo, chopped tomato, sweetcorn and chilli flakes.

Spoon onto iron rich spinach, watercress and rocket salad.

An Iron rich wrap fit for my very own Iron Man!

Thor

Thor is a meaty hunk with a hammer, so his wrap must also be meaty with ham-mer!  Thor is a tasty piece of hot stuff, so naturally the wrap is also tasty and hot, based on a quesadilla with melted cheese, strips of Quorn Chorizo and Quorn Ham (as we are veggie), diced spring onion and a sprinkle of hot chilli flakes.

Mix grated cheese, chopped spring onion, chorizio, ham and chilli flakes.

Put wrap into hot pan and sprinkle on filling.

Put second wrap on top and heat through and turn.

Serve when the cheese is melted cut into quarters!  Add a ham hammer!!

Captain America

What's more American than hot dogs with relish?  The Captain America wrap is a modern twist on this USA favourite.  Veggie hotdogs make the perfect 'All American' wrap filling with a fried onion relish or ketchup. Using Mission's mini wraps, I made individual Captain America snacks. The wraps made a really good alternative to a bun and the kids loved them.

Microwave the veggie hotdog sausages.

Spread relish or ketchup onto the mini wraps.

Roll up the hotdog wrap and secure with a cocktail stick.

Enjoy as a tasty and fun  alternative to a hotdog in a bun.

The Hulk

He's mean and green and bursting at the seams - just like his wrap!  In Avengers Assemble we find out that Dr Bruce Banner has spent time in India in an attempt to avoid his Hulk inducing rages so a curry seems very apt!  A yummy, overstuffed rolled wrap packed with green lentil curry with peas and spring onion served with a green yogurt raita sauce fits the bill perfectly.  The filling is bursting out of the word "HULK" cut into the wrap, just as the Hulk's huge muscles burst out of his clothing!

My husband is ready for his Hulk Wrap...don't make him angry!!

Green lentils, peas and spring onion stalk curry.

Put into centre of seeded wrap and top with raita.  Roll up.

Carve the wrap to let the curry burst out Hulk-style!!

As they say in Hollywood..."That's a Wrap!!"
***

Blind Taste Test

As we were having such fun getting creative with Mission Deli Wraps I decided to give Kizzy the blind taste test.  Here's the mission challenge:

"Put unusual flavours together in a wrap and get the kids to eat them blindfolded. They need to guess what the 'weird but it works' flavours are. Best of 3 ‘what’s that wrap’ wins! And whatever their favourite is goes in Monday’s lunchbox. Yum!"

So I came up with three wraps:

 Hot Banana, Cheddar, Mango Chutney and Chilli Flakes 

(an idea recommended by my friend Helen)

 Stilton, Spring Onion and Mushroom Melt

Passion Fruit, Blueberries, Vanilla Yogurt, Sliced Peaches and Vanilla Sugar

Watch this video to see what Kizzy thought and what she'll be getting in her lunchbox on Monday!

   

Check out MissionWrapsUK on Facebook to join in the fun!

Looking At My Past - An Inspirational Woman

Looking at my five children, I so often see familiar expressions and resemblances between them.  Since the birth of my grandson and my great nephew, this recognition of family traits has become even more poignant.  I look at the two new additions, a whole new branch to our family tree and I am overwhelmed by the sense of belonging and kinship, knowing that the genes we share dictate who we are and how we look.

I think it is probably due to this that I have started to look retrospectively back into my own past.  Discovering photographs that depict the people who came before me, with whom I share a bloodline.  It is an amazing feeling to study the faces of long dead relatives to see traits of myself and my children. Each of these relatives has a story to tell and I intend to document as much of their lives as I can so in the future their memories will be preserved for the generations that come after me.

Hearing the stories that my own parents remember has given the photographs so much more meaning and I am able to feel a strong connection to my past. I feel more real than I have ever felt before, knowing that my roots run deep and strong into my family's history.  This is where I came from.  These are the people that I honour with my very existence.  

Eliza Jones nee Cole

My paternal grandmother.

I remember Nan Jones, the strong woman with the Black Country accent.  We used to visit her home in Birmingham when I was a child.  It was in Mushroom Hall Road...a place that sounded like something out of a fairy story. We didn't visit much because back then, Birmingham seemed a very long way away from our home in Slough.  We didn't have a car for years and then when my dad did start driving there was no motorway like there is now.  But I do remember those occasional trips.

I remember her big pantry, her metal nutcracker shaped like a dog, her outdoor toilet and the sterilised milk she drank in her tea.  She used to sing, in a loud, operatic voice that everyone stopped in their tracks to listen to. She had a fiery relationship with my Grandad.  There was lots of dramatic shouting, but also a very deep love.  She was registered blind and fundraised for the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity.  A silver guide dog model that she had been presented for service to the charity took pride of place in her living room.  

She died on this day 29 years ago.

But there was so much more to my Nan.  She was an amazing woman who lived her life for others.  If there was a birth or a death it was Eliza who was summoned to help.  If people needed food she would feed them.  She became the carer to her brother Jack to keep him out of an institution and he lived with her and my Grandad until the day he died. She was a fiercely protective mother who never let her family go short even in the era of wartime austerity.  She worked hard and was a proud woman with inner strength and dignity and a heart of gold.

Sadly she suffered a devastating loss in her life.

Eliza had two sons born before my dad, James and John.  This photo was taken in about 1930 of my Nan and her twin boys.  It is devastating to know that both boys died at 11 months old, four days apart.  They said that the first twin died due to complications of teething and the second twin died four days later from a broken heart. We'll never know the real causes of death, but whatever it was it cruelly took the lives of the boys who could have been my uncles and my Dad's older brothers. It's hard to imagine what she must have gone through losing not one but two seemingly healthy and robust children within days of each other. This picture is the only one of Eliza and her sons and is a precious piece of my family history. It is battered and worn but thanks to the computer I have managed to salvage the image as best I can so John and James won't be forgotten.

Hop picking was a big part of life in the Black Country.  They would do it every year, the family turning out together to pick the hops for the breweries.  In this picture, Eliza is with her mum Granny Polly a woman who was known for being tyrannical and formidable. Everyone was scared of her.  She dressed all in black and wore her long hair in a thick plait that snaked down her back. She appears in a few of the photos I have unearthed and she always looks really scary.  But her cheekbones look like mine.  It's odd to see my bone structure looking back at me in photos that date back to the early part of the last century.

I remember going hop picking with my Dad and Nan one year when I was a little girl.  I got shouted at for picking flowers from a pub garden...whoops!  Nan made us fried bacon butties and I'll never forget just how crispy she made her bacon.  Apparently she dreamed of running her own cafe and was renowned for her cooking.  I only remember the bacon.

My eldest daughter's middle name is Eliza, in honour of the great grandmother she never met.  I think Megan also has a lot of my Nan's spark and drive.  Like her, she is a strong, proud woman full of character who is fiercely loyal and extremely proud.  A wonderful legacy in flesh and blood.

I am so pleased that someone took all these photos and that my family have taken care of them across the years.  They are telling me so much about my past and about the family members and their lives.  I feel so blessed to have this window to the past!

HARIBO Halloween Sweets - For Treating Your Little Monsters!

Halloween has become synonymous with sweeties.  Dishing out candy to the trick or treaters is very much a part of the celebrations, and this year HARIBO have a range of great Halloween themed sweets that will make all the little monsters very happy.

HARIBO delivered some to us to share around this Halloween!  

The HARIBO Trick or Treat Mega Box is brilliant for parties, goody bags and trick or treating.  It contains 50 individual mini-bags of Horror Mix spooky themed gums and jellies.  This will definitely keep all the children who come knocking happy! It is available at Asda.

The HARIBO Halloween Trick or Treat Party Pack is a cauldron of delights.  The spooky, orange bucket contains 40 mini-bags of spooky mix along with a selection of other goodies to help get your Halloween party started.  There are ideas for scary games, spooky glow in the dark stickers and some party invites.  There is also the chance to win an Ultimate HARIBO Party or one of 100 HARIBO hampers.  Just look out for the winning tickets that are hiding in the lucky party packs.  The HARIBO Trick or Treat Party Packs can be found in Tesco.

HARIBO also have a brilliant range of spooky themed Sharing Bags including Tangy Monsters, Spooky Ghosts and the fabulous Fangtastics!  They look great tipped into a bowl as a table centrepiece or used to decorate iced cakes to make simple spooky cupcakes!

HARIBO also have bags of Trick or Treat Mini Mix containing 10 mini bags if you are celebrating Halloween on a smaller scale.

We are big fans of the HARIBO seasonally themed items and are looking forward to sharing the HARIBO with all the little witches, wizards, vampires and ghosts that come calling this Halloween!

Visit www.haribo.com for more information and a chance to win the Ultimate Party.

Harmful Bacteria Found on 1 in 4 Items of Washed Clothes!!

With so many of us using cool wash programs for our laundry, it is a disgusting fact that a quarter of our washed laundry items contain bacteria related to faeces!  Germs are just being swished around in the washing machine creating a bacteria soup that is soaking into our washing.  Ewww!  This means that our 'clean' clothes are often harbouring  potentially dangerous bugs.

Washing clothing in a hot wash is expensive, environmentally unfriendly and damaging to some fabrics, so what is the solution?  How can we kill the germs?

Dettol has a new anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser which kills 99.9% of bacteria, even at low temperatures.

Putting two capfuls into your fabric softener drawer ensures that the bacteria is killed, even at low temperatures, keeping our families clothing hygienically clean, avoiding contamination and possible infection.  I have been sent a bottle to try out.  It has a Fresh Cotton  fragrance, which is a pleasant and light scent making the laundry smell fresh.  It's easy to use (although you must avoid contact with skin when in it's neat form as it's an irritant) and if we get into the habit of popping it in a wash, we can be confident that we are not transferring germs through the laundry process.  It's really useful when washing towels, underwear, bedding and heavily soiled garments. When using the cool wash economy settings on the washing machine for the family's laundry, I think it's better to be safe than sorry!

                            

A 1.5 litre bottle costs around £4.00 from good supermarkets.