Charcoal Challenge - Moneysupermarket.com challenge

A few days ago before the cooler weather and then the rain arrived whilst the sun was shining bright we had a family BBQ.  It was thanks to the Moneysupermarket.com #CharcoalChallenge  that we took the time out of our busy lives to get together and have fun in the sun whilst having a barbecue.  As I love barbecue’s I was delighted about being accepted to take part in the #CharcoalChallenge which entailed hosting a barbecue for under £50 and then writing a post about having an ultimate barbecue on a budget.

After a quick visit to the beach for splishy splashy fun in the sun Bug and I popped to the shops to stock up on food and drink for our family barbecue later that day.  We bought lots of fresh salad, a variety of meat, fresh bread rolls and drinks including some wine for our guests to enjoy (my mum and sister who do love to indulge with a glass or two of wine bought their own bottles too).  Thankfully we already had coals for the barbecue for a previous barbecue we had recently and as we did not have to buy barbecue coals we came just under budget.

Happily the sun was still shining bright in the blue sky when barbecue time arrived with our family barbecue get-together starting early evening.

Once Lee was back from work he set about lighting the barbecue.  Bug was fascinated with the shadow of the barbecue, amazed at the smoke’s shadow flickering on the ground.

Being the man of the house Lee took his barbecue duty seriously and would not let me lift a finger to help allowing me to relax and chat with family which was lovely.  The aromas coming from the barbecue was divine and as the meat cooked upon the barbecue the scents emanating from the barbecue set my belly grumbling with a desire for tasty barbecued food.

Whilst Lee was busy cooking the food on the barbecue, the family relaxed in the sun with my mum and sister starting on the wine as we chatted and enjoyed watching Bug play.

After racing around and playing to his heart’s content Bug settled down and enjoyed his daddy’s creation of a Cajun Salmon salad as a starter before munching on barbecued burgers and sausages.

We all enjoyed the eating al fresco in the sun, relishing the tasty barbecue food.

The wine was enjoyed by my family whilst I stuck to a refreshing, ice cold glass of diet coke.

Even though our bellies were full with yummy barbecue food we all managed a little sweet treat, with strawberry cheesecake and mouth-watering watermelon enjoyed.

With our appetites satisfied by delicious barbecue food we all chatted and relaxed in the lovely weather.  Wanting to keep the party going Bug insisted on changing into his swim suit to enjoy splishy splashing fun in his little paddling pool, showing off to his Aunty Boo as he slipped and glided down his slide making a big splash as he landed in the water.

We all had a lovely time and satisfying barbecue food was enjoyed by all.  It was great to catch up with the family and have some relaxing time together in the gorgeous sunny weather.

*  This is my entry to the Moneysupermarket Charcoal Challenge competition, I was provided with £50 to take part and have a barbecue.  By taking part I am entered into the competition where one lucky winner will get £250 to throw the ultimate barbecue *

NHS Direct Wales helpline......health advice a phone call away.

A few weeks ago whilst Lee was at work Bug was under the weather.  After being a touch grumpy for a couple of days previously he took a turn for the worse and a trip to the doctors was called for.  Whilst phoning our doctors for an appointment I realised that with it being a Wednesday afternoon they were closed. 

As our doctors were closed I rang NHS Direct Wales for some advice and after speaking to a very helpful and friendly nurse I was advised to get in touch with the out of hours doctor.

After speaking to an out of hours doctor, with a little help from my mum who was more than happy to be my taxi, Bug was given a course of antibiotics to clear up an infection.

Thankfully after completing the course of antibiotics and having lots of snuggles with mummy Bug was well once again.

Even though Bug was not drastically ill, as his mummy I was worried about him especially as we were home without a car.  It is at times like these that I love and appreciate the fact that my mum is there for me and always willing to help us out.

I was also grateful for the helpful and friendly advice I had from the nurse I spoke to on the NHS Direct Wales helpline.  I think it is fantastic that this health advice and information service is available for people to use 24 hours a day, every day so that they can access advice and information about health services.  It is so useful that people can simply call 0845 46 47 to access health information on a wide range of conditions, treatments and local health services as well as get advice about what to do is they are feeling ill.  

The NHS Direct Wales website is also very useful with an A-Z encyclopaedia of health information and a search function allowing users to search for local NHS services such as dentists, pharmacies and support groups in their area.

NHS Direct Wales took a little worry out of the situation and knowing I could talk to a knowledgeable, medical professional  about my little Bug was very reassuring.

Five suggestions for decorating the nursery when preparing for a new arrival.

During the exciting time of expecting a baby there comes the time to decorate the nursery ready for your new arrival.  Whilst creating a beautiful nursery for your little baby, why not revamp your own room to create a place to relax and sleep (on those rare occasions when you get the chance that is!).

Here we look at five top suggestions.

1. Be “different” with colour

The usual pinks and blues aren’t the only choices when decorating a nursery.  Neutrals, pale yellows, mint greens all work well if you don’t yet know whether it’s a boy or a girl and you can extend the colour to your own room too if it’s in need of a facelift.  Make it stand out with a bright pop of colour on a “feature wall” and pick up the same bright colour in curtains or bedding for something truly special.

Fruity ice lollies with a Cadbury chocolate twist #cbias #shop

Bug and I have been making the most of the lovely weather we have been having of late; playing at the park, enjoying splishy splashy shenanigans at the beach, having lots of adventures in the great outdoors, playing in the garden…..simply making the most of the sunshine whilst it lasts and having lots of fun.  As well as enjoying playing in the sunshine we have also being making the most of the lovely weather by eating al fresco. 

Even though the weather has been lovely it has been boiling.  In an attempt to keep cool and prevent burning in the scorching sun we have been lathering ourselves in sunscreen and staying indoors with fans working overtime during the hottest part of the day, enjoying the weather and playing outdoors in the early hours of the morning, late afternoon and early evening.  We have also been enjoying cooling relief to the sweltering hot weather thank to yummy ice lollies.

With the heat wave making us feel like we are melting we have been devouring ice lollies as if they are going out of fashion.  Thanks to the red-hot weather and our need for some icy-cold relief my supply of homemade fruity ice lollies has been dwindling fast. 

With my supply of ice lollies nearly depleted I wanted to make some more fruity ice lollies especially as each day keeps bringing lots of sun, clear blue skies and no sign of rain or cloudy skies.  Even though my fruity ice lollies are always a hit with Bug I wanted to make some with a chocolatey twist for a special treat after being inspired by some Raspberry and Chocolate Ice Lollies on the Annabel Karmel website.  As Bug loves Watermelon I wanted to make some simple Watermelon Ice Lollies, giving some of them a chocolate twist.  Whilst browsing the internet for ice lolly ideas I stumbled across a recipe for Strawberry Ice Lollies that consisted of blending strawberries with yoghurt which sounding like a yummy milky ice lolly to make Bug.

After a quick play in the village park whilst daddy had a little lie in after a late shift we set off on for a day of shopping at Swansea with plans of getting Bug some more summer clothes and swim shorts as well as supplies to make more homemade ice lollies.

After hitting the shops to get Bug some summer clothes and browsing toy shops in the hope of finding some Lego Duplo on sale for my Lego mad Bug we popped into Asda to check out their George clothing for little ones and get supplies for the fruity ice lollies with a chocolatey twist, specifically fresh fruit and Cadbury chocolate.  You can see our shopping trip to Asda by taking a look at our Shopping at Asda for ingredients for fruity ice lollies with a Cadbury chocolate twist google+ album.

Even though I could not get raspberries for the Raspberry and Chocolate Ice Lollies recipe I found on the Annabel Karmel website the lollies inspired me to make my own fruity ice lollies in the same vein by dipping them in chocolate and adding a scattering of sprinkles.  With plentiful supplies and the fans whirling to keep us cool, Bug and I hit the kitchen to make some ice lollies.

Bug was fascinated by the hand blender as I prepared the fruit for the lollies and was intrigued watching the fruit juice drip through the sieve.

We made a few different fruity ice lollies using a number of ice lolly holders and moulds.  With the fruity blends smelling divine we placed them in the freezer to set ready for dipping in melted Cadbury chocolate.

After being in the freezer overnight our ice lollies were icy cold and set, ready for a chocolatey makeover.

I could not wait to taste the summer fruit blend of watermelon and strawberry ice lollies.

Bug was intrigued by the bullet shaped ice lollies.  The strawberry and yoghurt ice lollies looked milky and cooling.

As both Bug and I love watermelon both of us were excited about enjoying the watermelon ice lollies that looked uber icy cold and had a gorgeous pink hue to them.

As well as making fruity ice lollies whilst we were busy making ice lolly treats we also made some raspberry fromage frais ice lollies that looked delicious.

With the fruity ice lollies frozen solid it was time to get creative with some tasty Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate.

Bug loved helping break the chocolate ready for melting and he was giggling in delight when he slyly sneaked a bit to eat.

With melted Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate at the ready I dipped the fruity ice lollies in the silky smooth chocolate and then Bug helped decorate the ice lollies by sprinkling hundreds and thousands onto the chocolate before we popped them back into the freezer to set.

As we had some chocolate left we made some little chocolate treats that had a little surprise inside in the form of Jelly Babies.

Bug loved hiding the Jelly Babies in the melted chocolate and after they were all covered in the silky milk chocolate we put them to bed in the fridge to set.

Whilst putting the Jelly Babies to bed in a chocolate bed Bug also secreted away a couple of little Jelly Babies to nibble on.

Once our little chocolate and Jelly Babies treats were set Bug was excited about seeing inside.

As the day was fast come to an end I decided the fruity ice lollies with a chocolate twist would have to wait until the following day when they could be enjoyed in the midst of a sunny, fun filled day playing outdoors.  As a special treat for being a very good boy helping mummy make ice lollies, Bug enjoyed a bowl of yummy vanilla ice cream drizzled with melted Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate after he devoured his supper.

I was surprised to see that by the time I got the bowl to the table the chocolate had set.

The following day with a fridge full of fruity ice lollies, a number of which had a chocolate and sprinkles makeover and the sun shining bright we headed outside to play.  

Whilst Bug raced around playing on his cars and small climbing frame I relaxed and enjoyed the sun with a pieces or two (okay maybe a tad more) of Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations Jelly Popping Candy Shells and an ice cold can of Diet Coke.

With the paddling pool filled up with cooling water Bug enjoyed splishing and splashing in the pool before deciding to use his little slide to slip into the pool.

Bug was very excited to see the fruity ice lollies with a chocolate twist as well as some strawberries to nibble on to give him an energy boost to carry on playing.  I love our fruity ice lollies with a Cadbury chocolate twist and they make not look perfect but I think they look good and have a cute homemade look to them.  Our homemade fruity ice lollies taste great and are the perfect treat for hot summer days.

The Watermelon and Strawberry ice lollies with a Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate top were particularly lovely and very refreshing to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Fingers crossed the lovely summer weather continues so that Bug and I can have lots more fun playing outside and enjoying the refreshing, cooling fruity ice lollies.  I plan on using some different fruit next time I need to make some more fruity ice lollies and I hope to attempt to make some Chocolate Orange Ice Lollies in the near future.

I'm saying cheese mummy.....hurry up and take the photo (Project 365 - 203/365).

Panasonic Lumix TZ40 camera.

I have a passion for photography and I love taking photographs especially when capturing special moments with Bug.  Sadly my digital camera broke about a month ago, since then I feel lost without my little camera.  As I love taking photographs so much and miss having a digital camera I am saving up to buy a new camera.  Even though saving up for a new camera is slow progress I am researching different cameras for when I have enough pennies to treat myself to a shiny new camera.

I have yearned for a Panasonic Lumix camera for ages; admiring the gorgeous cameras that have fantastic features that would allow me to photograph special moments with Bug and capture our little adventures.   After watching a video for the Lumix TZ40 camera my desire for a Lumix camera is even stronger.  The amusing video is very memorable and I love how they have highlighted the fantastic features of the camera throughout the video……I particularly love the funny beach scene in the video.  

Fingers crossed my camera fund will be big enough soon so that I can get a Lumix TZ40 camera and capture magical moments with a little help from the camera’s fantastic features.  I am sure Lee would also love the Lumix TZ40 camera as he also loves photography and cameras with impressive technology but he best not re-enact the beach scene from the video otherwise we will be having words!  
*  Sponsored video posted on behalf of SpreadItFast * 

Dog rose (Project 365 - 196/365).