Family Time at Prezzo

During the half term last week the children and I met up with my sister and her daughters for a lunch treat at Prezzo. The school holidays gave us the perfect opportunity to get together with the children to enjoy some food. 

Prezzo have made family dining even easier and family orientated with their new La Famiglia Feast sharing dish. We, as a family love to sit and eat together and regardless what others have everybody wants to dig in and try other meals which when you are out can be a bit difficult. But Prezzo have created the perfect feast for a family. One large bowl of pasta, side dishes, drinks and even ice cream. One bowl for everyone to share. This is ideal for families and a fantastic way to come together over some delicious food.

20 Questions to Ask your Children

Have you seen the latest craze on social media where parents ask their children a series of questions? As you can imagine the answers to the vary from child to child dependent on age and gender. But you can guarantee that the answers will portray a variety of sentiments. They really do give us a glimpse into their imaginative minds. So when Shepherds Friendly asked me if I would like to have a go and ask the children a series of questions I thought it would be a great idea. I love the idea of asking the same set of questions next January to compare their answers as they get older.

Their answers made me smile, made me giggle, made me gasp and, of course, made my heart melt. This is what they said...

Dotty's Yearbook with Whiskas

Today I am sharing with you a post that is a little different from usual. Today I am sharing with you a post about our cat. Family and friends often refer to us as the good life family as we grow our own vegetables and have a lot of animals. We are out numbered by animals, we own 3 chickens, 2 rabbits, 2 dogs, 1 hamster and our dear little cat, Dotty. So when the leading cat food brand, Whiskas, got in contact and asked if I would like to share a year book style collage of Dotty I thought it would be a lot of fun.

Dotty is the first cat that we have had and we simply could not have asked for a softer, more loving cat. We got her as a kitten two years ago when the twins were two so both Dotty and the twins have grown together therefore there is a strong bond between them. We often find Dotty asleep in the twins bedroom either on the floor or alternating between their beds. She really is a valued member of the family.

Whiskas have started their Kitten Kollage campaign to celebrate the joy of owning a cat and the pleasure that they bring to our lives. They have developed a You Tube channel which specialises in educating people on how to care for their kittens and also inspires owners with their videos that have been set up in a mock college environment. The videos are not only informative but are also great fun and the kittens are the cutest! After watching a few of the videos I did get sentimental about the kitten days and spent most of the morning looking through pictures of Dotty from the first day that we met her. I have selected just a few of my favourite shots to create a Dotty memory post...

#FoodieseekerFriday - What To Pack!

Now that we are getting closer and closer to our holiday my mind is constantly thinking about what we need to take with us. What I will need, what the hubby will need and what all three kids will need. What they will need to occupy them on the plane and what they will need on the ship.

I will admit to getting stressed before we go on holiday. I am fine once we have left home but the build up to leaving can leave me quite stressed and anxious. So to help alleviate the stress I make lists for everything. Now we are really getting closer I have actually got items on my "things to buy" list ticked off at last. Clothes wise we are all sorted we just need to added extras.

Today I thought that I would share with you my top must haves when going on holiday...

#FoodieseekerFriday - Seuss at Sea and Fun for the Kids

For this weeks Foodieseeker Friday post I thought I would tell you all about the children's activities. As I am sat writing this I have two excited twins telling me to click here and there! To prepare the children for the Dr Seuss adventure on board Carnival Vista they already have Dr Seuss teddies and books so they are already familiar characters. In true Carnival style there are so many Dr Seuss themed activities, including the legendary Green Eggs and Ham!

The Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with the cat in the hat and friends is going to be a breakfast like no other. The dining area will be brightly decorated and filled with all of the fun of Dr Seuss.

The menu makes this a truly unique breakfast. The menu is full of classic Dr Seuss style poems to describe the culinary delights that await, such as...

• Do You Like Green Eggs and Ham? "Would you, could you, on a boat? Try them while you float. Try them and you may, I say."
• Scrambled Super-Dee Dooper-dee-Booper, Special de luxe a-la Peter T Hooper Omelette's "We'll crack'em and shuck'em and chuck'em in pans. We'll mix in some beans and use fifty five cans. We'll mix in whatever you wish; feel free to create your own stupendous egg dish."
• Truffula Tree Pancakes "Those pancakes! Those pancakes! Stacked high as the trees. I've been searching my whole life for stacks such as these!"
• From There to Here, From Here to There, Funny Belgian Waffles are Everywhere "One berry, two berry, red berry, blue berry. Waffles with whipped cream, waffles without. Just tell us which one; no need to shout."
• Fox in Socks Steak and Eggs "Don't blab such blibber blubber! Try to say filet mignon topped with two fried eggs, Bearnaise sauce, chopped potatoes and grilled tomatoes. Now is your tongue numb?" 

Finding The Perfect Car For A Growing Family!

Once the twins arrived we knew that we would need a larger car. As soon as we knew that they were on their way we had to say goodbye to the sporty car and say hello to the practical larger car. Since the twins arrival, four years ago we are now on our third car! How have we got through so many cars you may wonder. This is simply down to poor choice, until the car we have now. The second car that we bought, we thought that it was going to be bigger, but in hindsight we rushed the purchase and really did not make the right decision.

We underestimated how much room three growing children would need especially when it comes to going on holiday! As the children grew, so did our need for a larger car. It got to the point where our boot would be jam packed and we would need to put other things in a second car. Be it my parents or my mother in laws car. This was fine, but we were not always going to have people in a second car going on holiday with us!

2nd April - 8th April 2016 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

Wow this week has flown by! We have been enjoying some lazy mornings this week and even had the hubby take an extra day off work. I have had a few busy work days and we have enjoyed a couple of trips out.

This week has seen a lot of foodie pictures, some girlie time and family walks.

Here is my week in pictures...

Saturday 2nd April 2016

On Saturday, I will admit that I did not get a picture taken! So I am using one of the hubby's! On Saturday we went plant shopping and he made these two pots of bedding plants and lavender.

Sunday 3rd April 2016

On Sunday we went out for a lovely sunny walk with the dogs. This is something which, now the weather is getting better, we are going to do each weekend. It gives the dogs a good walk but also gets us out together as a family.

Happy New Year

Here is to the end of 2015 and welcome to 2016.

2015 has been a busy year. When I think back during 2015 I see highs and I see lows, I see milestones and I see achievements.

The twins turned three and started nursery. They went from being socially shy children into confident young children who amaze me everyday. At the beginning of the year neither twins would look let alone talk to anyone that they did not know. During the last 9 months they have grown into such confident little people. They make me beam on a daily basis.

Joseph turned 11 and is now in year 6 at school. Year 6! How did my little boy grow up so much? I still think of Joseph as my little Joe-Joe but then I see him and I know that he is growing up and growing up too quickly. I have loosened the reins a little and given Joseph more freedom. He now plays out and has a phone, my son is nearly a teenager and don't we know it! Despite all of the trials that come with tweens I look at Joseph with pride and wonder where the last 11 years have gone.

The hubby and I have found that now the twins are getting older we are getting more time together. We have enjoyed some time away in York and have had some evenings out. Even though we do not get out much we always have our Friday night date night in and as the years go by we get closer and he remains my rock.

So now that is the reminiscing is done, lets look to the new year.

2016 brings so many exciting things. We have got a life changing holiday to go on, I am attending another BritMums conference, the twins start full time school and Joseph moves up to High School! There is so much to keep an eye out for I am getting excited just thinking about it!

We are starting the year with Dry January. This is our aim to start the year as we mean to go on. 2016 is going to be a healthy year. During the end of 2015 we started to eat healthier and we want to continue into 2016 so what better way to kick start the year than cutting out alcohol and up the exercise!

This month I will be starting a new monthly feature called Foodieseeker Friday where I will be recreating one of the dishes from Carnival Vistas menus. I will also be keeping you up to date with how the development of Vista is going and then we will be having the big countdown to when we embark onboard!

CookBlogShare will be continuing into the new year and it will be run by myself along with Sneaky Veg and Snap Happy Bakes. Together we hope to grow the community further during 2016.

I hope you will continue to read and support Hijacked By Twins as the year goes on. I hope you all have a very happy and a healthy new year and here is to a lot of delicious food!

Kirsty x

How To Make Your Gift Stand Out This Christmas

We are so blessed to be able to give and receive during the holiday season. Instead of spending money on items your loved ones may or may not enjoy, spend your hard-earned money on gifts they’ll truly appreciate, and make this Christmas the best you’ve ever had with your family and friends.

Here are my top tips for a successful Christmas...

Shop Early

If you want to ensure you have the best gifts this holiday season, don’t wait until the last second to head out to the mall or hop online. After Thanksgiving passes the weeks fly by, and Christmas Eve will be here before you know it. By shopping early, you can ensure you peruse the best selection, and if you are ordering online, you’ll have a better chance of securing your items arrive soon in the weeks ahead—meaning more time to wrap and less time to stress. Half of the excitement of Christmas is the buildup, at least for me and my family, and it’s always fun to have presents sitting under the tree in the weeks leading up to the big reveal.

DIY

If you really want something unique to wrap up, consider doing a DIY gift for all the names on your list that you know they won’t get from anyone else. If you have a streak of creativity, use it to your advantage and create a gift they’ll never expect but always cherish. Perhaps you can create a photo collage of all the wonderful times you’ve had with your other half, or send it to Shutterfly so they can do it for you and make your vision a reality. If you’re a culinary god or goddess, consider whipping up a large batch of your tastiest concoction and syphoning it into small containers as a thoughtful and delicious holiday treat for all of your colleagues.

6th December - 12th December 2015 - One Picture, Everyday For One Year

Can you believe we are at week 50? Another Project365 is almost complete! This has been yet another busy week. As we get closer to Christmas the weeks seem to go quicker. This week has seen, as usual a lot of foodie pictures, Christmas activities, a ballet show and a good pre Christmas clean up!

This is our week in pictures...

Sunday 6th December 2015

On Sunday morning Isabella took part in a Frozen workshop at her ballet class. She had been looking forward to dancing to Frozen all week. She absolutely loved taking part and they even did a performance on the stage to the song Let It Go. All of the girls in her class are 3 - 4 years old and they all did a great job, they looked so cute. We can see Isabella becoming quite the performer!

Monday 7th December 2015

29th November - 5th December 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

Wow this week has been a busy one. I feel like I have not stopped. This has been because of an increase in work, which is great especially at this time of year, and the twins being off school for two days. But at last Christmas has arrived to the Hijacked By Twins household.

Here is our week in pictures...

Sunday 29th November 2015

On Sunday we decided to light our annual Christmas candle. This year I bought the Noel candle from Crabtree and Evelyn which, when lit, fills the room with Christmas aromas.

Stir Up Sunday - Lucky Sixpence Christmas Pudding

Today is Stir Up Sunday so we had to make a Christmas pudding. I love traditions like this and think that they are great to hand down through generations.

Today we started a new family Christmas tradition.

Today we added a lucky sixpence to our Christmas pudding. This year The Royal Mint made 2015 sixpences especially for Stir Up Sunday. They invited people to apply for one of the sixpences to add to their Christmas puddings. I was over the moon when I received one through the post. That is when our new, family Christmas tradition was born. Both the hubby and I love traditions and creating our own family traditions that our children will always remember as being a huge part of their lives. We hope to see them continue these traditions with their children and see them handed down through generations. Thanks to The Royal Mint we now have a sixpence for our Christmas puddings and it will stay in the family for years to come!

This year I have combined two pudding recipes. I have used my Wee Dram Christmas Pudding and some of the recipe that came from The Royal Mint with the sixpence.

This is what I did...

15th November - 21st November 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

As I sit typing the dates I cannot believe that we are half way through November! It will be December before we know it!

This week has not really been an eventful week. The children have been at school and I have been stuck in thanks to my back playing up again. But this has meant that we have had a lot of quality time together. This week has seen silly selfies, food and ballet.

Here is our week in pictures...

Sunday 15th November 2015

I took this photograph while we were at my mum and dads on Sunday. I love sitting and watching the twins interact together when they do not know that they are being watched. I have always enjoyed watching them and listening to them chatting together. Here they were sat together playing on the i-Pad and solving the puzzles on a game.

8th November - 14th November 2015 - One Picture Everyday for One Year

This week has been a week of ups and down, thankfully mainly up, but the week has ended not so great thanks to my back.

This week has flown, as they all seem to be doing recently. We have had parents evening, homemade bread, a new cake, fantastic bargains and a date night!

Here is our week in pictures...

Sunday 8th November 2015

On Sunday we took a family walk out with the dogs in the morning. This is becoming a good part of our Sunday routine. We all get wrapped up and go out with the dogs. As always we visited my mum and dad for Sunday dinner and when we got home in the evening the hubby decided that he wanted some cake so I tried and successfully made and prepared a cake in just 10 minutes!

1st November - 7th November 2015 - One Picture Everyday for One Year

This week, finally, I have felt more myself. The medication that I have been prescribed for my back ache is starting to work and I am feeling that I can do a lot more than I have been able to do in the last 6 weeks. On Sunday I took my first walk out and about and I have been able to do the school run all week! Before my back started to play up I really did take doing the school run for granted. It is only when you cannot do something you realise how much it means to be able to do it. I have really enjoyed being able to do this again and the twins have also told me how they are happy that mummy is taking them to school again.

This week has seen the start of a new month, walks with the dogs, a new hair colour, Christmas shopping and baking. Here is my week in pictures...

Sunday 1st November 2015

After a wet Saturday it was nice to have a few hours of dry weather on Sunday. So, as I was feeling better, we took the dogs for a walk. Joseph was out playing with his friends so the hubby and I took the twins and dogs for a walk down the lane and across the fields home. This was the first walk that I have taken out with the dogs in about 6 weeks. There were so many puddles that the twins loved splashing in.

Our Soft and Fluffy Moments with Roberts Bakery

Going away last week was the perfect time for us to find our Soft and Fluffy moments in each day. Roberts Bakery have challenged us to fill a jar of our Soft and Fluffy moments and to look back on them to remember our summer. To document our summer I have naturally taken plenty of pictures!

Here are our Soft and Fluffy Moments...

Seeing this beautiful view while having a ride on a train at Castle Howard 

2nd August - 8th August 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

At last we have had a good week of weather! This week has been a more enjoyable and productive week simply because the sun has been shining.

This week has seen the twins playhouse decorated, park play time, lunch with daddy, a lot of baking and a barbecue!

Here is our week in pictures...

Sunday 2nd August 2015

Sunday was a lovely day. We spent a lot of the day out in the garden. Isabella has recently discovered the flowers that the hubby has grown for cutting. She regularly goes and picks some for me.

Monday 3rd August 2015

Monday was a baking day. The hubby has been asking me for weeks to bake some scones. I have found that with my depression I have lost my baking mojo so it did do me good to get a push to do something which, before, I loved. It was lovely baking and I realised that I have missed it. As always I am taking part in the Great Bloggers Bake Off and I hope that it reignites my passion for baking.

Must Have's For a Summer Holiday

At last the time of year that we all love is upon us!

The summer holidays are about to start. The children are about to break up for the 6 weeks holiday and everybody seems to be planning what they are going to do, where they are going to go and who they are going to see.

When I was asked what would be the one thing that I could not go without on a summer holiday I really got thinking about exactly what was important.

These are the things that are important to me...

Good Food!

Good food and drink is a must have! There is nothing worse than going away and having a week of bad food. Food is an important part of a holiday as while away we tend to indulge more in our food and drink. We like to go to restaurants that serve food that is different to what we would usually have. Holidays are also a good time to try new food and be a little bit more adventurous!

12th July - 18th July 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

This week has been a week of acceptance. Acceptance that I needed to admit that things were not right with regard to my depression. I recently took a turn and went down again. However I finally admitted that I needed to talk and called the doctors. This has resulted in getting a rocket up my backside to exercise more and a temporary increase in my medication. It has now been a year since my diagnosis and I am realising that there is no quick fix. It is going to take time and will be a roller coaster of a ride to recovery.

Anyway back to my Project365. Here is our week in pictures...

Sunday 12th July 2015

On Sunday I had a baking morning and made some delicious biscuits from Sweetpea Pantry. As you can see from this picture the twins loved tucking in to them. You can read about them here.

Monday 13th July 2015

On Monday morning I enjoyed going for a long walk with the dogs. We tried a new walk that was great!

Tuesday 14th July 2015

This was the only picture that I took on Tuesday and it is of Taylor's lovely sleepy face. Bless him, he was fast asleep on me in the afternoon and I found myself just sitting and gazing at how peaceful he looked.

Wednesday 15th July 2015

Wednesday was the day that I finally admitted to myself that I wasn't right and had my telephone appointment with my doctor. On Wednesday I made this lovely roasted Mediterranean vegetable pasta and finished the day with a great work out!

Thursday 16th July 2015

On Thursday we went to the schools annual leavers service. Now that the twins are older they are sitting a lot better through the services. As they go to a church school there are quite a few each term. This time Isabella went prepared with colouring and Taylor took a book.

Friday 17th July 2015

On Friday I needed to take the hubby's car to get some new tyres. Thankfully there are shops and a Costa coffee shop around the corner. So after buying some yummy Marks and Spencers food I went armed with my iPad and chilled with a coffee and free wifi! When the kids are back at school in September I am going to make it a weekly treat!

Saturday 18th July 2015

On Saturday I had some time out with my mother in law at a mini spa. We enjoyed an hour together in the spa area then took it in turns to have treatments and have some alone time. It has really refreshed me!

Hope you have a lovely week x

As always I am sharing with...

Silent Sunday

I have chosen this as my Sunday Photo. It is extremely rare that all five of us are together in a picture. It is usually the hubby or I that are taking pictures. While we were at my parents last weekend my dad took this picture of the five of us.