National Multi Tasking Day with Nature's Finest Plus a Healthy, Quick and Easy Dessert!

Wednesday 24th May 2017 is National Multi Tasking Day. Being a busy working mum to three children, wife to the hubby and caring after animals multi tasking is something that you need to do to maintain sanity! I never truly knew what multi tasking was until the twins arrived and the hubby returned to work after his paternity leave. Having two babies needing you, often at the same time, makes you look at what you do and try to make life as easy as possible.

Nature's Finest is celebrating National Multi Tasking Day and making preparing fruit one less job to do! Their pre prepared fruit contains no added sugar and is preserved in natural juice. The fruit in Nature's Finest has been picked and packed at its peak ripeness to ensure all of the goodness is retained.

It has been identified that 24th May is the country's busiest day. People are starting to plan their summer holidays, the children are getting ready for yet another half term holiday, work that needs doing, like all families, the list goes on. So to make the busiest day a little easier I am going to share with you my top tips for multi tasking and how to survive the busy day! Plus a deliciously quick and easy recipe that is perfect for the days when you are not prepared for the question "what's for pudding mum?".

Living off the Grid

How many times have you looked around your house and looked at all of the electrical items that we constantly use? Not many times I bet, I know that we don’t. So when Flogas asked me what I would miss if I was to live off the grid it really did get me thinking about the things that we all take for granted. We all automatically turn on the hot taps and expect hot water, we all flick a switch for light and always go to the fridge for cold milk.

Courtesy of Pixabay

The foodie that I am, I would definitely miss my kitchen amenities. I would miss being able to go in the kitchen and put the kettle on for a drink or putting the oven on to bake and cook our meals. Having the electricity to keep food in the fridge and being able to freeze food to keep for longer. When you take a moment to think about how much we rely on having these creature comforts you realise how they are taken for granted.

Our Home Improvements

A few weeks ago we started to focus on the house and getting some much needed jobs completed. When we moved in, nearly five years ago, there was so much that needed to be done. But we only had two weeks to get the jobs done before we moved in. We desperately wanted to be in for Christmas so a lot of jobs were rushed and not done to how we really wanted. But time and money meant that we had to make do.

Over the past two years, once the twins were no longer babies, we have started to really make the house our own. The hubby has completely transformed the garden from a long, lawn garden to a garden divided into three areas comprising of a vegetable, fruit and chicken area, kids play area and a family and dogs area. We have had a completely new roof fitted, the front garden has been replaced with a gravel driveway and we have started to decorate inside. A few months ago we had a flood upstairs thanks to J leaving a tap running with the plug in the sink while we were out. This caused a lot of water damage but meant that we needed to have the hall and landing redecorated and a new carpet fitted. We also needed the ceiling in the lounge re plastered. Seeing the new against the old installed the decorating bug in us. We have now got a beautifully, fresh and bright lounge after decorating. This has ignited a fire inside of us to really get the house as we want it. I spoke a few weeks ago about our kitchen dreams. We want to brighten up that room next. Having the house looking lovely inside has got us looking at all aspects of the house, both inside and out and looking at how we have done jobs in the past and if we would change anything.

Interior Design Trends For 2016 - How To Increase Your Property Value

You may remember that recently I have been talking about how to save money. Sometimes spending money can also have huge benefits. One benefit is increasing your property value. This is a great way to make a long term investment. So when I was asked if I would share a great infographic with you I thought it would be a great idea. I love all of these tips so thought that you would to!

Here are the top interior design trend for 2016 and how you can increase the value of your property...

Ideas How To Improve Kitchen Storage

I do love my kitchen and I have told my Kitchen Tale in the past all about how we had to redesign our kitchen before we moved into our home. This was such an exciting project for us, but particularly for me. I have never had the opportunity to design my own kitchen before. This is our first house and we hope that it will be our last. When we designed the kitchen we added all of the storage that we could with the budget that we had. However three years down the line we have realised that we need more storage. That is the one thing that we really do lack. This got me thinking to how we can add more storage.

As you can see from the picture above we really do lack storage space. Our kitchen is not long but is very wide. So it is paramount that we utilise the space that we do have to the best of our abilities. I am no interior designer so I did what most of us do, I went online to look for ideas. After looking through many different websites I came across Homify. This website is jam packed full of ideas for every part of your home. From kitchens to dining rooms, from gardens to study and office areas, from living rooms to bedrooms. They have ideas for every room that you may have in your house including the outside area!

Extension Update - A Dining Area to Plan

You may remember a while ago I mentioned that we were planning to extend our house. Things are still going ahead but it will now be next year when we get the work completed. We have also changed our mind on the use of the extension. 

Originally we had planned for the new area to be and kitchen, dining and living area. Now that we have had all of the plans drawn up we are not too sure if there will be sufficient room to make the extension everything that we wanted in one area. At first I was disappointed but after a lot of thought we have a solution that will work better for all of us and maximise the space.

The extension will be built onto the back to the house, as previously planned and the area will be a living area and the kitchen will be open plan. But we will now change our current living room into a large dining room.

Therefore I now have an extra room to plan for!

This is both exciting and a bit daunting!

Even though we are not getting the work completed until next year my mind is already full of ideas! What furniture I would like, what colours to pick, what style to go for, what carpet to select and what blinds to go for.

The list is becoming endless!

Here are my ideas so far...

Dream Kitchen

You may remember a while ago I wrote about my hopes and dreams for a new kitchen area. Well things are moving in the right direction. If you did not read the post let me set the scene!

When we bought our home two and a half years ago we had huge hopes for it. The kitchen needed completely redoing, the bathroom moved from downstairs to upstairs to create a utility next to the kitchen, we took out the old fire place and had new carpets and floors downstairs. It was a lot of work in a short space of time. We saw the house as a blank canvas that over time we could make into our ideal, perfect family home.

Two years on things are now really starting to develop and we can see that our dreams are going to become a reality.

So what are our dreams?

What is our dream kitchen are going to be like?

This is what my kitchen looked like when we moved in...

Word of the Week - 7th March 2015

I know, I am a day late this week! This is due to a manic Friday combined with not feeling great. Anyway here is my Word of the Week...

Planning

This week has been a productive week in respect to our house and the plans that we have.

Last year we had the front garden converted into a drive. But since then we have been waiting and chasing up quotes to get a dropped kerb installed. This has been an up hill struggle and has felt like a battle to get some figures back. This week we have accepted a quote and finally have an idea of when the kerb will be changed!

We have been planning to have an extension built to the back of the house for a while now. We have been toying around with different ideas.

Do we go for a two story extension?

Do we have a single extension?

Do we go for a conservatory?

We have had so many thoughts and ideas flying around. At times it has felt that it has been all we have thought about. At last, after a meeting with an architect, we have finally decided what we would like to be done! I have drawn up some plans for a room to be extended for the additional bedroom that we need and an orangerie built off  the kitchen to create a large open plan kitchen/living area. At last I have submitted all of the forms and plan to the councils planning department and now we wait.

I have also been speaking to builders and asking for quotes so that as soon as we get the go ahead from the council (fingers crossed) we can get on with making our plans a reality.

We have also seen plans develop with new additions.

We are planning to adopt another puppy from the same litter as Opie. When I took her back to the RSPCA for her second vaccination the hubby told me to ask if all of the puppies had been homed. I was told that all but 3 had been adopted. After going to see them and seeing their sad eyes we have agreed to adopt one more as a play mate for Opie. As soon as I saw them I noticed how much a loving home has brought Opie on. She is so full of life and looks bigger and healthier. They are currently on antibiotics for a tummy bug, like Opie was, but hopefully on Tuesday they will get the all clear. We are planning to take Opie to visit her sister, who will be called Jax (yes we are huge Sons of Anarchy fans!) to see how they get on and if it all goes well we will be adopting her.

How could we say no to those eyes!

There has been a lot of planning this week. Planning for the future. Exciting plans which will mean a busy year making our plans, hopes and dreams a reality.

That is why planning is my Word of the Week. What word would sum up your week?

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with The Reading Residence.

Word of the Week - 23rd January 2015

This weeks word of the week is...

Progress

This week it feels like we are making progress on making hopes for our house a reality. This year we hope to have an extension built at the back of the house to create a large open plan kitchen/dining/family area. We started thinking about the extension last year. We have had so many ideas and thoughts but so far they have just been dreams. This week we have made an appointment with an architect to come and have a look at the house. It will be good to finally know that ideas will be feasible and which are simply not possible.

We have also made progress on getting a drop curb fitted to the drive. We were messed around by a company and left waiting so we have contacted a different company who were out the same day to measure up. We are just waiting for a quote now but again, this is more progress.

It is all very exciting on the house front. This year will be a big year. This will be the year we make our house perfect for us!

As always I am sharing my Word of the Week with the lovely Jocelyn from The Reading Residence.

An Eventful Evening

Last night certainly was an eventful evening.
Earlier in the day we had been notified that our village was given a red flood warning, which is a severe flood warning!
This was causing us a lot of concern.
We have only been in our house for a year and it was scary to think that it may flood.
We were advised to take valuables upstairs and to prepare for the worst.
So once the evening came I was keeping a close eye on Facebook and the Floodline for any news what so ever.
News quickly spread that a village on the other side of the river was being evacuated.
As you can imagine, my worry increased.
I worried for our home.
I worried for our children.
I even worried for our chickens!
When we heard that a village 3 miles away on our side of the river was being advised to leave their homes we had a decision to make.
Do we stay and risk it?
Do we go to my mother in laws?
Do we wait a little bit longer?
What should we do?
Our main concern was the children.
We did not want them to be at home if the worst did happen and we did get flooded.
So we made a decision.
We packed a bag with some pyjamas and clothes and got ready to go to my mother in laws, who lives no where near the River Trent.
My mum and dad live just down the road so they came with us too.
We hoped that our visit would only be for a couple hours.
It was a relief to know that the children were away from any potential risk but it was hard being away from home and not knowing what was going on.
All I kept thinking was that it is nearly Christmas and we cannot be out of our home!
Plus we'd left the poor chickens in their coop!
Once we got to my mother in laws we all got another message telling us that the flooding was "imminent" in our village.
This made our hearts sink!
Our homes, our friends homes, the village school!
Then we heard that a village a little further on was flooded as the river had burst its banks.
Thankfully we kept in touch with people in the village so we were getting the odd bit of information.
Then once the risk time was ending we got the telephone call that we had been praying for.
The water had splashed over the bank but it was only the houses that backed onto the river bank that were effected.
Our homes were dry!
We all breathed a huge sigh of relief!
However the villages on the opposite side of the river have not been as lucky.
We, as a village, have been extremely lucky and it certainly was a close call.
I was so pleased to be home last night and felt lucky to wake up in our own bed and in a dry house.
Our home means so much to us and we would have been heart broken if anything happened to it.
The tides are continuing to be high but I have just recieved a telephone call o let us know that we are no longer under the red severe flood alert!
That is a relief!!!

Stormy Day

Today has been quite a scary day.
It has been so windy.
Things have been blown around in the garden.
Two of our plastic greenhouses have been blown over. One is probably beyond repair but the other looks ok.
Plants that were in pots are now laid on the floor with compost scattered everywhere.
Luckily the other plants and trees that are planted in the garden have survived the winds as has our fence.
But it is this evenings predicted events that I am most worried about.
Our village has been put on a red flood alert.
The village that we live in is by the side of the River Trent and we have been warned that when the high tide comes in it may break the banks.
Luckily we don't live on the banks but it is still a worry as we are not far! Also we have steps up to our doors so we are raised up a little.
However the village school is up towards the river bank and if there is any flooding I am sure it will be effected.
Just to be on the safe side we will be taking important papers upstairs tonight and taking a few food bits just in case.
I may be over reacting, and I sincerely hope that I am and that I will look at this post in the morning and giggle about how I panicked!
But wherever you all are take care in the bad weather!
Fingers crossed everything will be ok in the morning x

Home Time

Yesterday it was our time to return home and back to reality.
I do love being away but I also love coming home. The first night back in our own beds is always bliss!
We treated ourselves to a brunch before leaving Northumberland. We stopped off at our new favorite farm shop The Sunnyhills Farm Shop. We had a delicious full English breakfast. I even tried black pudding for the first time and loved it! We brought back some of their sausages and pies home they are that good! We've said that from now on we are going to make it a tradition to stop off there on our way home for a breakfast.
As we left Northumberland it was absolutely pouring with rain so we were lucky it was our last day. We had a good steady ride home.
As soon as we got home I went to check on my chickens! This is the first time that we have left them and I was amazed by how much I have actually missed them. I'm sure, in their own way, they were pleased to see me as they just stood next to my feet waiting to be stroked!
So now it is back to normality and routine. For once I have not missed my treasured routine. We had a lovely holiday and I am going to start looking for our next as soon as I can.
First things first, this morning it is Joseph's swimming lesson. When we get home I will be dying to get into the kitchen to bake. I have missed baking and being in my kitchen. Today I am going to be baking my porkie picnic pie for Great Bloggers Bake Off and a yummy honey cake using some heather honey that we bought from Chain Bridge Honey Farm.
So a busy baking day and baking posts to come!
There are plus sides of being home!