My Sunday Photo: 9D Virtual Reality Amazement!

First foray into the world of 9D Virtual Reality!

The Importance of Inclusion in Mainstream Schools

I have supported inclusion my whole adult life. I went to a small, remote, underfunded secondary school and I realised from an early age how important it was to support those who needed it, to ensure their development, not just educationally, but also socially. As a young person at school, you don't see what awareness there is or what support is being provided for individuals, you just notice who is bored, or embarrassed, or struggling. That’s why I decided, there and then, that I wanted to be a Learning Support Assistant. There wasn’t even a name for the role then, it was unkindly referred to in the press as the ‘Mum’s Army’ and was viewed as the Government trying to cut costs in teaching.

Mother's Day Flower Delivery with Blossoming Gifts

I love flowers, particularly in the winter. They can really lift the spirits and they remind me that spring is coming, even on the dullest winter's day. Receiving flowers is always a treat. Flowers are the ultimate extravagance and you have to be pretty determined to buy them for yourself, as there is always something more practical that needs to be purchased. Mother's Day is the perfect occasion for flowers, as it falls just as the spring flowers are starting to bloom and everyone is beginning to think about summer. 

Creating Storage from Scraps. Guest Post

A Guest Post by The Husband

I've always held the theory that my generation, I'll be 50 this year, was the last generation to be brought up by Victorians. My grandparents were born in 1905, therefore my mother to this day lives by Victorian values. I spoke when I was spoken to, was downstairs ready for breakfast, after making my bed, at 7 o'clock and that was when I was seven years old. I grew up respecting my elders, didn't even know what a swear word was and I didn't say; 'Thank you', I said; 'Thank you very much'.

My Sunday Photo: Static Fun!

Win Britney Spears Circus Perfume

One for the ladies this week. as we've had a few children-based giveaways recently. I absolutely love this perfume. Everyone knows you shouldn't buy a perfume because of the pretty bottle, but, on the off chance you don't like the smell, at least it will make an attractive ornament! This is a full-size 30ml bottle, rrp £22 and it could be yours for a few clicks of the Rafflecopter. Good luck. Ooh, and don't forget our Disney Frozen iphone 5 Case Competition is still open until 21st February.

Carrot Soup with Asda's Wonky Veg Box!

For Day 5 of Wonky Veg Week, I thought we had better make some carrot soup, as it's one of L's favourite foods. It's a great way to squeeze some nutrition into children, as it's quite sweet and a fun colour and is often a favourite for a cold winter's day. Our veg is starting to run out now, but it has lasted well and was definitely worth the £3.50 it cost for the 5kg box. So far it has made; Leek Pastry Slices, Stuffed Peppers, Spanish Omelette and has provided the veg for our Sunday roast. Not bad for the outlay and it's been fun thinking up imaginative recipes, whilst getting away from boring convenience foods. 

Ham and Leek Pastry Slices with Asda's Wonky Veg

It's Day 4 of Wonky Veg week, where we've been trying out Asda's new initiative and seeing how far we can make £3.50 worth of vegegtables stretch. You can read our initial thoughts in our First Impressions post. We still have onions, carrots, a few spuds and a lonely leek to go. I'm feeling a bit sorry for that leek, all alone in that big box, so this is his time to shine! A great excuse for a massive pie, if you ask me! It's not really a pie, it tastes like pie, but is easier to make, as you don't need to line a tin. This is my recipe for Leek and Ham slices.

Not a Valentine's Poem

This is a bit bonkers, but I didn't do a Prose for Thought poem last week, so thought I'd better make the effort this week, as it's Valentine's Day on Sunday. I'm really not very romantic, though, and that got me thinking... I've really never been very romantic, so I dug out this silly rhyme I wrote 20 years ago, when I was a teenager, I've had to change it a bit, as it had got a bit dated, but the rest is exactly as I wrote and I thought it was quite funny, coming from a 17 year old! 

Leftovers Omelette with Asda's Wonky Veg Box

It's Day 3 of the Wonky Veg Box from Asda. Today we are looking at what we can do with a red pepper and some potatoes and a very small onion. There are lots of onions in the box, but more about that another day. You can see the full list of what else was in it, in my Wonky Veg Box First Impressions or have a look at Day 2's recipe; Easy Stuffed Peppers, if you fancy it. As well as the onion, potato and red pepper from the box, I also had some mushrooms and sausages to use up, so I have no idea what to call this recipe. It's a kind of Brunch Omelette, I suppose. Anyway, here goes...

Easy Stuffed Peppers with Asda's Wonky Veg Box

Yesterday, I offered my first impressions of Asda's latest big idea to lessen waste and boost the profits of farmers, as well as providing cheap, healthy food to customers. The Wonky Veg Box is packed with imperfect seasonal veg and provides a wealth of opportunities to get creative with meals. Today's recipe will take care of the green peppers and use up the cabbage left over from yesterday's roast dinner. Stuffed pepers look quite exotic when served, but are ridiculously easy to make, as is the homemade coleslaw. It's all pretty healthy too! 

Asda's Wonky Veg Box First Impressions

I think I might have struck lucky this week, as I happened to spot Asda's new Wonky Veg boxes when I was shopping on Friday. Apparently, I've since found out, the boxes are only available in certain stores in limited quantity at the moment to gauge interest, so I was quite pleased to get one. They only cost £3.50 for 5kg of mixed veg, so I bought one, mainly out of curiosity. However, when I got it home, I was quite surprised by how much veg it actually contained. 

Win a Disney Frozen iPhone 5 Case

Today you can enter to win a Frozen phone case, for iPhone 5 or 5s. I am feeling particularly lazy this week, so there isn't even a question to answer, just some easy Rafflecopter options. Lots of luck to everyone who enters, the Rafflecopter awaits. Competition closes 21st February at midnight. 

10 Facts that Matter about Babies... and Lots that Don't!

Every parent has a vast amount of questions and doubts when they first bring that precious bundle of joy home. We all go through it, it's totally normal. Do you know what, though? If your baby is fed, clean and safe, you are doing great. Doesn't matter how you do it; doesn't matter if their socks don't match, or they favour sleeping back to front in a cardboard box under a leopard print towel, so long as they, and you, are happy. Here are my top ten baby priorities and some of the misconceptions that actually don't  matter a jot. The pictures are grainy because they are nearly ten years old. Thank goodness for better quality cameras these days!