Hands Up - Justin Fletcher

So -  Hand's Up - the first single by Justin Fletcher is out now, but sadly has not made the top 40 this week.
I would love to prove that us Parent Bloggers have real power and would love to see Justin reach the Top 40 and ultimately Christmas Number 1 with this catchy tune.

My plea to you all is please get this single out there - on twitter and facebook.  I am new to blogging and don't have the follower count, but if we all join in then we are sure to get it in people's heads and hopefully into the charts.

Please, if you or your children love Justin Fletcher either RT my blog, or do one yourself.  Just hashtag it with #justinsarmy to see if we can get it trending in the UK! 

Watch the video here:

Here is my baby daughter dancing to it:

You can follow Justin on twitter @_justinfletcher and like him on Facebook

and here is the Justin's Army fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/294724653885360/

A Tattoo too far?

I am still reeling from the discovery that my beautiful 18 year old daughter has had a tattoo done.
I didn't shout, scream or cry but I felt like doing all three. When I asked her why the response I got was "It's my body"
Am I being old fashioned in my thinking? So many celebrities have tattoo's and nobody bats an eyelid. I look at the likes of Cheryl Cole and think, if only she didn't have that tattoo on display, it ruins the look of that dress!
My main worry is the position of the tattoo. She has had it done on her wrist, which I think will affect her job opportunities! She wants to be cabin crew - a job for which you need to look the part too.
As a former manager, visible tattoo's and piercings were a no no for jobs with the public!
What do you think, am I worried for nothing??

Boo Loves Baby Jake

I just had to share this!

My Boo adores Baby Jake on Cbeebies.  It is the one program we have to stop and watch as she is transfixed from beginning to end.

Now she is getting more vocal, she has started to try and sing along which is so cute.........

Please help us!!

I have been inspired to do this by Jane (@northernmum1) who asked for help in voting for Old Basing Powell Scout Hut to win a £65,000 grant from Energyshare to help modernise their building.
Whilst I was giving her a vote, I noticed that a project local to me was also competing in another category.
Let me introduce you to The Hub, Lyme Regis!
Here is what Ayvin has to say:
The Hub (http://www.hublyme.co.uk/) is a new project of the Lyme Regis Development Trust, to renovate an old abandoned building and make it energy efficient, sustainable and a progressive centre for young people in the Lyme Regis area.
The Hub's energy strategy is an important and holistic part of a much larger vision. The Hub's significance is far deeper than good energy practice. It reaches into the heart of our community, valuing young people and giving them the best start in life we can. It will be part of the glue that binds us together.
As a multi-partnership, we will work with the community and region to offer inclusive, inspirational, enjoyable and educational activities & services for young people. It will be a centre of excellence and part of the Hub’s long-term sustainability will be to produce and conserve its own energy and be an exemplar of good practice to the whole community.
This is a very special moment in our town. We have kept a building in community hands and made a fresh start, coming together in a spirit of enthusiasm and support for young people. The Energyshare opportuntity has come at a perfect time to launch The Hub on a sustainable financial footing and contribute to a new and progressive beginning, symbolic of the way communities can move forward.
Thanks to all the local support so far, we are now in the competition final for the first ever Energyshare grant, sponsored by River Cottage and British Gas. With your vote, we could win £100,000 to help make our vision a reality.
We are a small town competing with some large cities. They will have lots of local support and we wish them well. We have an excellent project in a rural area but fewer locals to give support. To stand a chance, we need people from far and wide to share our vision, not just about energy but also supporters of young people and how to tackle their rural isolation and sparse cultural opportunities.
To read more and vote please go here:  http://www.energyshare.com/wwwhublymecouk
You will find the Hub in the Large Project category and we are currently in 3rd place so we need all the help we can get with just 13 days to go!
Whilst you are there, I'd also like you to show your support for Jane @northernmum1 in the medium catergory and you can read her story here: http://northernmum.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/please-help-me/
Thank you!

Sports for your little ones

With so much in the news about children not getting enough exercise I'm keen to make sure we do as much as we can!

I loved sport as a child but was never much good at it so I want to make it as fun as possible for my children and get them interested early.

My older boys play football for local teams so go to training on a Saturday and play matches on a Sunday. Yes - I am one of those mums in her wellies, a snugly warm coat and a hot flask of tea that jumps up and down on the sidelines, cheering them on. They lose more than they win but as long as they've enjoyed themselves then who cares!

My toddler has always been wanting to join in, but I could never find anything for his age - until now!
Isaac has been going to Sports4Tots for a few weeks now and he loves it! They alternate sports every week between Football, Rugby and Tennis. They learn the basic skills (all in a fun way) which helps their balance, co-ordination and dexterity! I have been really impressed with how quickly Isaac has learned the skills and his enthusiasm for each sport is contagious!!

Games include "Scoring a try" in other words - squishing a rugby ball on a coloured shape at the other end of the room! Dribbling a football and then stopping it with your foot! Balancing a ball on a racquet. Kicking seems a favourite of Isaac's and he is very good at getting the ball from one end of the room to the other. Plus lots of fun games to try!

The age range is 2 up to 5.

I highly recommend Sports4Tots in Bournemouth & Poole and Mick is offering the first two sessions free to see if your little one likes it!

For more info contact Mick on 07528 162941 or email info@sport4tots.co.uk
He is also on twitter @sport4tots

I did it!

I finally plucked up the courage and did it!
What you may ask??
I handed in my notice at work so won't be going back after maternity leave!
I have been dreading going back to work throughout my maternity leave, not because I don't want to work (I always have), but because they treated me so badly since returning to work after having Isaac.
I have only ever had two proper jobs, I was at a major supermarket for almost 16 years and then with this employer 7 years. Both times I have left when the roles just don't fit in with family life.
As I have got older I have come to realise that work life balance is far more important and you have to be happy in your job to be happy at home.
It's going to be tough, I don't deny that. A year on maternity leave has got us used to counting every penny and I have a plan.........TBC

Father Christmas - when is it time to know?

I am in a bit of a quandary! When do most children know the facts about Father Christmas?
We all have stockings in our house (well apart from me) and my two teens love joining in, but with my 11 year old I am scared of saying to much just in case he doesn't know the truth.
I know kids his age talk and I remember I had it broken to me in a very cruel fashion by the local know-it-all when I was younger!
Any good probing questions that you guys know that work as I really want to keep the magic alive if I can!

Busybee Candles - Heaven Scent

I have to admit that sometimes my house doesn't smell quite the way I want it too, what with a baby in nappies,  a toddler just coming through the potty training stages, 2 teenage stinky boys and a husband.
I have tried plug-ins and expensive air fresheners and they end up smelling artificial and giving me a headache.

I have been on twitter for about 18 months and stumbled across Busybee Candles quite by accident.  As a candle fan I had a nose around their website and was really intrigued by the scents they offer.  There are far too many for me to list here, but my absolute favourite (at the moment) is Baby Powder.  It honestly does smell like Johnsons Baby Powder.

The candles are handmade by the lovely Haith and Dee in Wales and are made from Soya wax and high quality cotton wicks.  In all my years of buying candles I have never known one to burn all the way to the bottom leaving little or no wax left until now - plus they last ages!!!!

If you have an oil burner you can buy wax tarts, which are the same great fragrances as the larger candles but are a really inexpensive way of finding your favourite scents.  Just pop them in the oil burner, light your tealight candle and off you go.  They last well too!

This isn't a sponsored post, I was just reminded how much I appreciate these little miracles after a nappy incident this morning.  I decided to light the Gingerbread fragrance and when hubby emerged from his bed he thought I'd been baking!

So if like me you love your house smelling lovely and like to put your feet up in the evening with a candle flickering nearby, then these are for you and if you are stuck for gift ideas in the run up to Christmas then these are perfect!

You can follow BusybeeCandles on twitter @busybeecandles where they run monthly competitions too!
Their website address is http://www.busybeecandles.co.uk

Silent Sunday 13th November 2011

Justins Army - Justin Fletcher should be Christmas number 1

Anyone that knows me will know that I am a mad twitter addict with 5 children - 2 of whom are massive Justin Fletcher fans! (The older ones are too but won't admit it publically).

I adore the man too. My son has perfected Makaton thanks to Justin and Mr Tumble and can sing all the songs from his last album off by heart, with all the signs!

Justin's latest offering Justin's house is also a huge hit. Anything that encourages wiggling and jiggling or any form of exercise is great in my eyes.

So, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that Justin is releasing a single! Yep, I did say a single!

Hands Up is released on 20th November and already has Isaac bouncing around the room copying the dance moves and singing!

Now I am fed up with the X factor and their domination of the Christmas charts and what better than a genuinely feel good, fun song that gets the whole family dancing and laughing to beat them! Plus the winners single is one of my all time favourite songs which is now ruined (In my opinion)

My mission is to get Justin Fletcher to Christmas number 1 and our nation of children dancing to him on Christmas Top of the Pops!

Please join me and hashtag #justinsarmy on twitter and get this mission talked about wherever you can.
Please see the link to his video below:

YouTube -

You can also follow Justin at @_justinfletcher

Jazz up your food!

Being a large family we don't get out much, babysitters are pricey and the baby is still breast fed and just will not take a bottle!

We like nice food and not been able to afford to eat at restaurants we were looking for something different to spice up our meals when we came across Simply Sprinkle.

What is it?

It's a ready mixed combination of spices that you simply sprinkle on your food to jazz it up! You can also add it to mayonnaise to make a yummy dip or olive oil to make a marinade or salad dressing!

My favourite is one called Cor Blimey which works really well with steak. I rubbed a small amount into the meat and Hey Presto, a really yummy treat.

My other favourites are Chilli Mint (great on potatoes), Garlic & Herb, Cayman, Hot & Tasty and Lemon Zing!

You can buy the spices individually or get a variety pack and they all come with a leaflet with serving suggestions and they are suitable for vegans too!

Please give Jonathan a follow at @simplysprinkle or take a look at his website at www.dwdips.co.uk