Super cute Pencil pets create your own kitten kit.

Pencil pets are super cute and made out of rubber, these kittens attach through and on top of your child's pencil making writing fun. 

Pencil pets come in two different colors

• Orange and purple 
• Pink and blue

I received the orange and purple pack. everything in the picture below was included in the box.

After we choose which pieces we were going use we set about putting our kittens together.

 After putting Kittens together on there own pencils adding different extra parts like the sunglasses or the badges. 

The end result whilst writing although this was fun to do the toppers were heavy to write with when on top of the pencil. Resulting in not only my hand hurting after a while but also TJ's.

Although this was the worst part about the pencil toppers they can still be used off of the pencils as an ordinary rubber that can be taken off and put back on whenever needed.

I think these would be a fab extra for those kitten mad children as an extra stocking filler but that's just my opinion as I like to make sure I shop early for presents.

First time camping since I was 16...

Over the last few months I've been thinking of going camping with TJ and I finally bit the bullet. 

I looked at a few different campsites but ended up choosing one that wasn't to far from home in case our first camping trip went wrong.

I booked via the official camping and caravaning site which was easier then I thought.

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/wiltshire/salisbury/salisbury?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=Salisbury&utm_campaign=google_places

When I packed the car I just put in the basics of everything in the car.

• Blow up mattress
• Blanket
• 2 x sleeping bags 
• Small gas bottles 
• Cooker
• Small amount of food
• Electric cool box ( plugs in to car lighter)
• Spare change of clothes 
• Torches 
• Deck of cards 
• Tent 

The tent erected.

Once we arrived at the campsite the tent was erected in our pitch which was a lot bigger then I thought it would be. 

With the car parked next to the tent, we went for a walk down a path that took us to Salisbury town. The path ran past a housing estate and near a field where there's a river running around the edges and a play area in which the smaller kids were playing in. 

The walk took a total of 25 minutes and was along flat terrain and paths so it made quite a nice little stroll.

The shops near the play area were Morrisons, sports direct, Smyths toy store and a few other shops. After buying some bread rolls we headed back to the river where children were swimming and playing, so I let TJ paddle in the river to cool down for a few minutes before scooting his way back up to the campsite.

When we arrived back at the campsite there was 3 x color coordinated VW campers. 

Seeing the different tents and camper vans was amazing. and the mini community that is built once you pitch your tent.

There was two different bathroom blocks with one having washing facilities. These blocks were immaculate and with an entry code which was easy to remember to be used after 5pm it helped keep the campers happy. 

There was 4 shower cubicles, 6 toilet cubicles. and 6 sinks in one shower block. 

When we started cooking on the BBQ we were asked to use a few bricks underneath to stop the grass from being burnt which I could understand why as the grass was kept very nice.

The only downside about this campsite was the noise after the sun went down although the other neighbors didn't seem to mind to much. 

When the sun came up we were up and ready packing the tent and heading out before 8am. 

When you ask and ask and ask .....

Looking at my 8 year old he is normal. He's has his outbursts like every child has. But deep down a parent knows when something is wrong.
For 6 long years I've gone to the doctors and asked for them to help, to test, to refer me to someone who could help. For 6 long years I've been knocked back with the same answer " it's your parenting " .
2 years ago I signed up for the Webster Stratton 16 week parenting course to help tweak my parenting.
Now 16 sessions of which I had to take time out of work to attend (this caused a lot of issues, and ended up with me loosing my job due to the course), I found praising Tj continually made him angrier. The course itself and the structure is built for children that do not have anger issues.
Anyway 2 weeks ago I privately hired a physiologist to come and help Tj through his anger. It's amazing the lady sat with us watched Tj and even spoke to him by himself for a while.
Whilst here she watched and observed. And by the end of the session she agreed there was something wrong. She suggested he had R.A.D and possibly a slight form of autism.

Why in 6 years has it taken so long for someone to agree there is something wrong.
Last week I managed to get a doctor's appointment gave him the paper and he looked at me blankly then asked what I'd like him to do. The words "help me get help for him" came out of my mouth and again  the doctor looked blankly and said all he could do was refer me.
After all these years of not being helped I've gotten used to the daily abuse from my child. Bruised stomach, arms, daily temper tantrums and slammings of doors.
But what happens as he gets older?
I can handle my own.
My question to anyone that reads this rant is..... what happens when the abuse turns to someone else? 
When he's older and he stabs somebody ( yes maybe over dramatic but it could happen). When someone blames me for his wild behaviour.

What else can I do to help him but keep asking for help and keep getting denied.

What else can I do?

Looking at photo's is hard ...

Today I was looking through an old facebook account whilst Tj was sat next to me and I came across a photo of my oldest girl -scoobydoo. Tj immediately says look mom there's your baby girl which instantly started me blubbing. She was my world and my biggest fan as well as my confidant 8 years ago. I had Tj and she had a stroke, I couldn't cry when I put her to rest nor could I be sad. She meant everything to me and me so happy. She taught me how to love.

Yes I realise she was only a dog but growing up and having a few things happen to me. She helped every day she was there always wanting to be at my side through good times or bad times.

Memories can be cruel at times don't you think?

Do you ever get those days where your talking about someone and you had good memories about them?

Well I was chatting with an old friend from college today about an ex that I was like he was family from the word go. He was the guy that I wanted to protect, the guy I would've done anything for.

Well I decided to do a little facebook stalking today after reminiscing about the past and I really wish I hadn't. I was already feeling down this morning, after seeing his photos and pictures on their with a puppy of the dog that I wanted and pictures of him and his partner. I now feel miserable.
I wish I hadn't looked but I'm glad he's happy - kind of.

Since seeing this guy I have not dated anyone. It's now been nearly 2 years since we split up and I'm still on the look out for my gentleman.
I'm not rushing due to past relationships and how they acted.
I want to find that guy that holds the door, the chair. The guy that will be there for me no matter what.

I miss the ex and what he stood for.
Maybe one day I'll find a guy that can make me happy again.

For now I'll just think of happy times, oh and think about my next trip to the USA and what plans I can make whilst away. 

Cheeky nandos

Imagine sitting in a restaurant talking between your companion and yourself, up beat Portuguese music playing in the background. Mood lighting shining down on the table, enough to allow you to read the menu without straining your eyes but not too bright that it hurts.
The server greeting you explaining nandos etiquette. ( myself I don't need help there).

Once you've chosen and ordered your meal at the till don't forget your table number! Sit back and relax......

My meal went like this, hopefully yours will turn out similar to my meal out.

Beneath the perfectly cooked crispy exterior of my 1/2 cooked chicken was a tender white meat in mango and lime sauce.
The crispy coating finished the chicken off perfectly.
The corn on the cob although a little cold tasted amazing there was no way I was sending it back.
Crispy garlic bread freshly toasted.
The freshly cooked piri piri cooked chips were lightly covered with special piri piri salt. Although the chips were freshly cooked the oil was still seeping on to the plate from where they weren't drained properly.
This was sorted by placing a paper tissue under the chips for a few seconds and blotting up the oil.

New bed .... old bedside cabinets

A few months back I brought myself a new mattress from ikea and a duvan Base.
It was the best decesion I could've made the mattress I had was causing me to have bad back, my shoulders hurt , my neck  felt like I'd slept on a brick all night and when it came time to get up and go. Well I had none.
After a year of trying my hardest to put up with it I decided enough was enough. I began by looking Benson beds, the beds just weren't quite right, so I took a long drive to ikea. Whilst at ikea I looked in the bargain basement and found a king size mattress. The mattress is a made of memory foam.  Being from the bargain basement I loaded it on the trolley and went upto the beds part of the show room. Tried the mattresses out and fell in love with the one I'd found.  With a few marks on the cover I looked at the price and was pleased when I found it to be over 65% off the original price. Maybe I should've checked the price in the first place but I was soo excited to have found it in the bargain basement.
I decided to buy a duvan Base with two drawers. The Base itself is well built and extremely strong. The drawers on the other hand not such a good design. When the drawers have items inside it pushes the Base down and causes the drawers to rub on the Base making it harder to pull out.  On my next visit to ikea I shall be enquiring about Base strengtheners.

During the time that I spent in the shop I was lucky to not have to take TJ around with me, he enjoyed his hour of freedom in the child's creche area. The ball pit is one TJ'S favourite parts of the creche along with the toilets especially in the creche area so he can use it when he needs to instead of asking to go.

I now sleep in pure comfort . I never wake with bad back, neck pains and 99% of the time I wake ready and raring to go.

Mindless vandalism

Do you ever get the feeling when your working your butt off that it's all for nothing?

Well this week some moron, decided to kick my work van windows in.
Thanks to this mindless vandalism, I have now had to pay for 2 new windows, an excess on my insurance and not to mention missing 4 days of work because I cannot drive it without windows.

Do you think today's society actually think about others, or is it a thing of the past?

Myself I try to be the best person I can without upsetting anyone (it's hard at times) and try to help others out when I can.
I honestly don't understand why people do what they do at times.

Little passports is a hit !!

Today the long awaited surprise came through the post.
Little passports came through the post in a lovely box decorated box that says little passports, so there's no mistaking the  parcel that comes through the post.
The parcel itself came from the United States and took around 10 days for it to arrive ( a little longer in my case due to it being Christmas and new year).

When the parcel was opened there was a mini letter to me, explaining what the parcel holds and other details about little passports.

As the story goes Sam and sofia are 10 year old children and they travel on a magical scooter to different continents.

Inside the 1st parcel TJ found a suitcase, a passport, stickers, an activities booklet,a map and a luggage tag.

The luggage tag opens up yet more amazing treats online.

The map is medium sized to put up on the wall which is fantastic for those inquisitive minds.

I don't want to give to much more away as it'll ruin the fun. But it's safe to say I can't wait for next month's parcel to come.

Stewarts garden centre - Wimborne

Going to Stewarts Garden centre is soon becoming a holiday favourite trip for an hour or two in the last few weeks running up to Christmas. 

With festive decorations around the shop, two live reindeer and a Santa's grotto. It's very popular with children and adults to visit.

 TJ unfortunately this year has decided he doesn't want his picture taken with a santa look a like and is waiting to catch the real santa Christmas eve.  

On display is this fantastic restored vw camper with elves and santa dotted around inside and out. An electric Thomas the tank engine which children or adults alike can push a button to make it go around the vw camper on its track.

Christmas decorations are throughout the shop and although slightly higher priced then some shops it's peaceful and relaxed atmosphere create a lovely shopping experience.

When visiting the tea shop, a pot of tea for two was plenty - we managed six cups out of the two pots that were provided.

We choose to sit next to the back door although a slight draft coming from people going in and out the door it was the best seats. The reindeer were just outside the door playing and tossing the straw across their paddock area hunting for food, which TJ found hilarious. 

Long Johns Fish & Chips

I'm up there among the seafood lovers of poole, and for me this chip shop is the best around.

With sit in and take away services, whether your in a rush or just having a wander through town this is highly recommended place to eat.

In the picture above I've ordered the skippers meal deal. I can eat with the best of them and this meal deal is more then adequate for myself and my mom. 

The fish and chips come out fresh from the fryer and on to the plate. As with all the food it's not to greasy.

The restaurant staff are always happy to help, friendly, on the ball and always smiling.

Christmas shopping

When trying to shop for my eldest nephews Christmas present I've found it so hard this year.
I like to get him something he can build as he's such a clever young man. Over past years I've brought him science experiments such as the build a volcano or make your own crystals. This year I wanted something a little different so I opted for this really cool mug.

I like this mug for two different reasons :

1. Because it's heat activated
2. Because it's the solar system

I had to test it to make sure it worked, and I'm actually tempted to go and get another mug for myself.

The packaging itself is sturdy and in the shape of a small shortened rocket.

The mug is chunky but not to heavy. It's black with small white dots on which represents the stars in the sky.
One the boiling waters been added to the mug it takes a minute or two before it activates, the middle area slowly disappears and reveals constellations.

The cup stays warm for a good 10 minutes so if your a slow tea drinker it would be perfect for you.

Personally I think I made the right decision with this present but we shall see Christmas day.

Shoe box appeal number one

Over the next 3 weeks I'm aiming to donate to two different shoe box appeals.
My first shoe box appeal is to the local animal sanctuary that houses cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, ducks, chickens, horses, goats and other various animals.
I love my animals and I'd do anything I can to help if and when I can. So this year I will be attempting to send in 5 complete dog boxes and 5 complete cat boxes. As well as various animal bits and pieces.
For this challenge I have given myself 2 weeks to get as many shoe boxes as I can and fill with as many animal bits that I can.
I already have tennis balls for dogs and a variety of different treats for dogs. I would like to get a few chews and things for the dogs though before wrapping up their shoe boxes and handing them in.
For cats now cats are a little trickier to shop for, I have cat sachet pouches and I would like to get some of those cat feathers on an elastic which is attached to a stick. Or little ping pong balls or something similar. I don't own a cat and the cat I did have ran away to a house down the road ( obviously didn't like being fed the food it was given or could've been the puppy and Tj ?? )

Have you ever given to a shoe box appeal?
This will be my second year running and I would love to continue as myself I think the best gift is to give to those less fortunate then ourselves.

Putting life on hold

I found out the hard way of how much I've liked someone for years, in fact I've secretly had a crush on him throughout middle and secondary school.
Now this person has never known how I've felt until recently when I told him, yes bad timing on my behalf but at the same time I couldn't keep it bottled in.
Needless to say we're still friends and now he's a little less informative about him and his girlfriend. No more upsetting details for me.
It may sound silly at the same time I want to know that he's OK and that things with him and his other half are going well. No matter what my feelings are for him I would never want to see him upset or hurt nor would I want his other half to be upset by our friendship.
I am very reluctant to let guys near my son or family as we've had a lot happen in the past to us. But no matter what he is there as understanding as always.
He is usually the one I message or call when I am having a hard time at home or with my son. No matter where he is whether at work, out to sea or at home I know he will always reply or call me back as soon as possible.
Don't get me wrong said guy also has his bad side, such as being cocky, annoying and very big headed. But he's always been honest with me throughout everything.
My mom treats him like he's part of the family and no matter what abuse he gets he's always gotta come back with something one step up.

Recently I've been finding I want to settle down, I want to have myself a nice guy, and so I've decided to start seeing someone. Whether or not it will last only time will tell but, I for one don't think I've met my match with this young man.