Good Day...

You know that it's going to be a good day because...

I've put the washing out;

done the dishes;

and caught an escaped rabbit in the garden;

All before 10a.m.


Sam x

Moving from Google Reader...

I'm currently have a little look at Feedly and Bloglovin to see which one suits me best. So ignore anything that looks a little odd whilst I play. Sam x

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A week at Pontins...

We've just had a week away at Pontins, Camber Sands. It was Sun holiday and to be honest it wasn't our first choice (or even our third) but as it was our first time in doing this we didn't get a huge amount of choice.

I looked up some reviews and I must admit a lot of them weren't that encouraging and I started to get a teeny bit anxious about the place. But, overall, our week was good.

I won't say that it was relaxing:-
damp grey weather - although not Pontins fault;
screechy seagulls (they are REALLY loud and REALLY big - didn't realise quite how big they are) - again not Pontins fault;
paper thin walls in the chalets;
uncomfortable bed (I love my own bed but a bit too big to pack);
bluecoats have the loudest voices I have EVER heard (great for kids, not so much for adults)....

But,

All the people who worked there were lovely and cheery;
the bluecoats kept the kids amused and happy;
brilliant swimming pool and slide;
chalets were basic but clean;
the food was tasty and they didn't skimp on the helpings;
there was loads to do (mainly for kids but that's what we went for);
places to visit weren't too far away.

There were things that the grownups could see but the entertainment was late evening and by that time the kids (and us) were feeling a bit tired.

Yes the buildings look a bit tired but they are old and from what I read there is a huge refurbishment going on and that won't be finished anytime soon.

If anyone is thinking of going that hasn't been before can I just add that we didn't have a shower in our chalet, just a bath, so pack a jug or tap adapter if you want to wash hair. Also we took along some big cups/mugs after someone mentioned that they only had little cups (they do) in the chalets. I'm also glad we took along some extra blankets as the nights got cold.

Can I also recommend going half board. It seemed an expense at the time of paying but it made our life a lot easier not worrying about where we were going to eat and, as I said before, the food was tasty.

Would we go again? Yes we would.

Funny moment that I just had to mention....the double bed sleeper was a folding one that was also used as the seating so the legs ratcheted down when you wanted it as a bed. On the first night Bucket jnr fell out of his bed, it was about 1-2am so I wasn't too awake and as I walked back to our bed I noticed that it was slowly tipping up. Being half asleep my brain didn't quite recognise this fact so Ijust stood there as Mr Bucket's side slowly went downwards towards the floor. It was only when he stuck his arm out to stop himself that I realised I need to put my weight on to counter-balance it. I couldn't stop giggling for quite a while after that. Sam xx

Reviews - For or Against?

Whenever I'm looking at somewhere to visit or something to buy it's really handy that I can turn on the computer, type in a couple of words and there you go... everything that you'll EVER need to know.

Like most people I like to search for the best item my pocket can afford and I don't want to buy a 'turkey' (you know what I mean). So I like to look at reviews so I can get other peoples ideas and feedback.

But there is the problem - lots of people and LOTS of ideas and opinions.

Who do I believe?
Is this person telling the truth or are they just stirring for the hell of it??
Did they just go on a bad day (everyone gets one)???
Are they more picky than me???? - this one might be a teeny bit impossible but you never know.

The more I read, the more confused and anxious I get. The good ones make me feel relaxed and confident that I've made the perfect choice and then the next second I read an awful one which makes me think I've just made the worst decision in my entire life.

What do I do? What do you do? Should I be worried?

Take a deep breath and RELAX! Sam xx

Cycling along...

I have a new bicycle.

It's red.

It has 18 gears - Shimano, no less.

It has everything - bell, lock, pump, mud guards (very important on those lovely muddy roads), lights, etc. I think you get the picture - I like to be prepared you know.

The only thing.....and it's only a small thing, hardly a concern at all.....the last time I rode a bike was 25 years ago and that bike only had 3 gears.

It was a very wobbly start, let me tell you. I tried to go forward but that didn't work too well at first and I had to brake before I wobbled and fell off. I couldn't give up though as I needed to get home quick to pick up Bucket jnr from his holiday activity club.

So I set off, clunking through the gears (will really need to practice them), hoping to get home. On the way I passed some school kids doing a cycling proficiency course and they were all watching me as I sped past, didn't signal into my road and tried not to fall off. Hopefully they didn't learn too many bad habits from me.

And now I ache. I'm discovering muscles that have long been forgotten and I'm feeling every single one of my years.

I'm sure the next go will be a bit easier (I hope). Sam xx

And breathe...

This is the first time in a long little while that everything feels a bit more calm, on an even keel.

Since starting my new part time job, I've been feeling a bit like spaghetti - everything going in all directions but not actually getting anywhere (or anything done).

I'm usually getting the kids to school; walking to work (a bit more of a route march so my legs are usually killing me by the end of the week; getting back home and grabbing a sandwich; try to do a little bit of housework so the place isn't a complete tip; picking Bucket jnr up; sorting out tea; tidying up and then hopefully sitting down for a little while before kids bedtime and also before I pass out on the sofa at 9pm.

 you know that this is NOT a picture of me - right? right??

I've had to accept that I can't do ALL the housework, that I usually did casually in a day, in one hour. Something has got to give or at least slacken a little bit before something breaks - probably my back.

But today I'm here, feeling quite calm and having a nice cuppa before tackling the pancakes.

I'm hope to catch up on some of my favourite blogs too. Sam x

New Job...

 After 10 years of just looking after the kids (and the house, and the washing etc), I've got a job.

This was my first week and it didn't go too badly - they were still smiling when I left the office and they said "see you on Monday".

I'm going to get really fit as well because, as soon as I drop Bucket jnr off at school, I have to march for about 30 minutes to get to work. I will be exercising 5 days a week!!!! Although,,, I must admit that at the moment my legs feel like jelly and I've discovered some muscles that I didn't know I had.

And I never thought I'd get excited by the words "DRESS DOWN FRIDAY". Sam xx

January...

...is a really hard month.

Now, I'm only speaking for myself but I'm sure there are lots of others who are struggling this month.

Everyone gets paid before Christmas, so extra money is spent a bit earlier than planned; January is generally a 5 week month, so it seems like it's a really, really long time; somehow we've managed to have TWO car taxes at the end of the month and....I still can't find places to put the Christmas presents that the kids received.

I haven't really blogged much so far this year and I think it's just because the month feels like it's dragging me down a little. So I'm doing what others are almost certainly doing -

1. Trying not to spend ANYTHING;
2. Organising EVERYTHING;
3. Going to make SOMETHING.

1. I'm trying really hard not to buy anything extra for the house as money is so tight but I've a few extra pennies for stuff like milk and veg - milk is one of those things that we get through A LOT. Also, I've told the kids to stop growing - at least for this month. Luckily we've already shelled out for new shoes for them so I won't have to worry about that for a while. I've also been going to the library for my fix of books so I don't spend money on any new ones.

2. As well as finding places for the Christmas presents, I'm going through and trying to organise our cluttered home. I've probably mentioned before that we like to collect things and normally this isn't too bad and kept under control (I love boxes) but it seems to be mutating and now it's driving me NUTS. Also, as a crossover with no.1, I'm organising the food that we already have and trying to not buy extra (therefore spending no more money) - I hope the kids like liver as I'm sure there's lots a couple of bags in the freezer.

3. I'm going to be making cakes/biscuits (as no.1) and I want to use up all the fabric/old clothes that I've put to one side; cut them up and make quilt covers with the material. It probably won't be that neat but I think the kids will love their own special covers made with some of their old clothes.

And finally, I really, really, REALLY want to shift this stupid cold that I've had since before Christmas that NO amount of medicine/nose blowing/wrapping up warm will shift. I'm fed up with it now - it definitely has my permission to go. Sam xx

Brilliant game...

We went to France for summer holidays this year and stayed at a great camp. After raiding the Keycamp hut for something extra to do, we found this:

Monster Bingo by Orchard Toys

The game had a few bits missing but most of the pieces were there so we played a couple of games and had a brilliant time with it.  I have a 5 year old and a 9 year old and both really enjoyed it, usually games are either too old for one or too young for the other (cue lots of arguing/sulking/moaning and then the game put away).

When we came home again I looked it up and then ordered it as a Christmas present for Bucket jnr.

Well.......can I just say, once again, how brilliant this game is.We finally had a go last night after getting all the Christmas decorations down; tea eaten and showers done and we laughed a lot and very loudly. Now this is normally a good thing but Mr Bucket had a raging migraine and even with us being in another room, we were TOO loud.

Oh dear.

Anyway, so pleased with this game and I think we'll be playing it a lot more - definitely a good buy. Sam x

Happy New Year....

It's the 1st January 2013.

It's not raining, just looks a little bit cloudy but with the hope of the sun coming out.

The kids are quiet (they must be planning something).

I have some resolutions - some old; weight loss / some new; stop procrastinating, get off my arse and do it.

 We have a friend coming for lunch today (big lump of roast pork - the meal and NOT the friend).

It promises to be a good day.

It promises to be a good year.

Let's hope that 2013 is a good year for us all. Happy New Year, Sam xx