Our Experience with PKTMNY

So, as mentioned in a previous post, Grace and I have been trying out PKTMNY, the fantastic pre paid debit card for children to manage their pocket money.

Grace was totally excited about using it for the first time. After discussing with her what amount was for spending and what was for saving she decided to save up 2 weeks worth of spending too so she could buy a TY Beanie Boo to add to her collection. I was really impressed with her for not just thinking (like to be honest, I probably would have) ‘I’m allowed to spend this so I better spend it now’.

The first time she used it we went in to Debenhams and I showed her how to use the chip and pin machine, whispered her pin number to her,  the cashier said ‘You’ll regret teaching her that in a few years’ to which she proudly replied ‘It’s not her card, it’s mine, I’ve got my own card you know?’.

I got to college on a Thursday evening so since I started in September she has been using her pocket money to buy a magazine to take to the babysitter, ( not to read of course, she’ll only buy the one with the best free gift) so she has been using the rest of the agreed spending amount on that, she has continued to look very pleased with herself when we get to the cash desk and she says ‘Can I have MY card please, Mum?’, and tells me she feels very grown up when she’s using it!

The initial saving goal she has set for herself is £17.00, with which she intended to buy a Monster High Doll. She is almost there but I did explain to her that at this time of year it might be better to wait and see what Santa brings before buying anything and that most things are usually cheaper after Christmas and she was happy to do that so we changed it to £25 as there is another Monster High Doll for that amount and she should reach it in time for the January Sales!

It’s been great to see how responsible Grace has been with her spending. PKTMNY has been a great help as she’s really enjoying being able to see the amount building up and getting closer to her goal, and the thing that she wants, and it’s really encourages her to keep going. 

   

 This post is part of a project with BritMums, sponsored by

PKTMNY  , highlighting it's launch. The new tool allows parents to easily pay and monitor their children's pocket money online, whilst allowing their children to earn, save, spend and manage their money in a totally safe and fun way. We have been trailing the service and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Birthday Party at Christmas Time!

Organising a child’s birthday party can be enough to send even the calmest of us into a panic at the best of times, let alone when it falls around the Christmas period.

Here are a few handy tips to take some of the pressure off and ensure your child’s party is the talk of the playground, while saving a few pounds in the process!

Having the party at home is of course the most cost effective option but not all of us have room for that hey? I certainly don’t. If you visit your local councils website and search for community centres most of them will offer you a list of halls available to hire for parties. Alternatively church halls are often available to hire. Many at only a small cost or for a returnable deposit.. 

Whether you’re planning to hold the party at home or in a hall, one way to make your child’s party stand out is to choose a theme. An obvious choice would be a Christmas theme which is great but maybe you and your child will want to keep it separate to Christmas to make it that extra bit special! 

Princess and pirate parties are always a popular choice but why not go for something a little different… Super Heroes, Birthday Butterflies, Monster Ball, Pop Stars, Disney Stars or dress up as something beginning with the first letter of the birthday boy/ girls name! 

Games like pass the parcel, musical statues/bumps/chairs, Simon Says and sleeping lions always keep the children entertained and can be changed to fit in with the theme ‘Pin The Crown On The Princess’ ‘Minnie Mouse Says’ etc.

Alternatively you can hire an entertainer to lighten the load. Most children’s entertainers can offer packages that include music, games and a magic show, so all you have to worry about is the food!

Children’s entertainers are not regulated and so do not have to have CRB checks so always make sure children are supervised.

It’s not a party without a party bag, right? Why not make your own with the children for a fun craft activity in the lead up the party and to save a bit of cash? You can find empty paper bags in most craft stores or find them online for pennies and use whatever crafty materials you have at home to decorate them to fit with the theme of the party. Fill them with a few sweets (buy in bulk to make it cheaper), stickers, a few little toys and that all important slice of birthday cake!

I usually let Grace make her own invitations too. I write just ‘To………..’ and ‘Please come to Grace’s party at (time, date and location)’ in black marker on a blank sheet of card and let her have free reign on the rest with felt tips and her craft box! Great fun for her and also means she can personalise them to suit each friend she is inviting! 

Making your own decorations would also be good fun and give your party an even more personal feel. Feel free to add any ideas in your comments! 

Learning The Value Of Money

Having a mother with Narcissist Personality Disorder means that one of the many skills required to be an independent adult that I wasn't taught was how to manage my finances.

My Sister and I were never encouraged to save and if we wanted something we were just given it to keep us quiet, we never had to earn it which resulted in us both having no idea of the value of money and both getting into a lot of debt in our late teens, getting things on credit that we couldn't afford to pay for and never saving.

Then after becoming a Single Mother and not receiving any financial help I continued to struggle, so I made a decision as soon as Grace was old enough for pocket money that I would use it to best prepare her for financial independence so when I was given to opportunity to try out PKTMNY I was really keen to get involved.

I love the fact that Grace can see how much she needs to save to reach her chosen target which really encourages her not spend everything at once and another thing I like about it is that while she is in control of her own pocket money I can keep an eye on what is being spent and where from my account.

Grace is given £1 for every year of her age (currently 6) and after discussing which is a good amount to save we decided she could spend £4 and save £2 towards the Monster High Doll she has chosen for her target.

It has been great to see her developing a positive attitude towards saving and PKTMNY really is a great tool to help her do this. It’s really helped me to show her the importance of saving and that if she spends everything she is given then she will not be able to pay for the thing she wants. We will definitely continue to use it until she is financially independent.

Disclaimer = This post is part of a project with BritMums, sponsored by

PKTMNY , highlighting it's launch. The new tool allows parents to easily pay and monitor their children's pocket money online, whilst allowing their children to earn, save, spend and manage their money in a totally safe and fun way. We have been trailing the service and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Things to do with your GlossyBox box Number 1!

I decided as the GlossyBox comes in such nice, handy sized boxes, that I'd make good use of them.

I printed off a sheet of flower print I found online and glued it to the lid then typed out what I wanted to store in the box and glued that on too! Simple! Looks cute though I think!

Our Weekend.

So Friday night, I had my niece to stay. She's a toddler. Toddlers are awful little people aren't they? Jesus. Don't get me wrong I love that little monkey to pieces but you forget don't you, as they get older what hard work they used to be? After wreaking havoc on my my poor defenceless flat, she decided she needed to go to bed... needed to but didn't WANT to... subsequently screaming and whacking Grace on the head until 10pm when she finally admitted defeat. 7.30 is bedtime in my house (Unless she's seen an advert One Direction are on something slightly later than that of course!) and I cherish that bit of me time when I get to chill out and catch up on things. All that aside we do absolutely love having her around and she clearly feels the same, her little face lights up when she see's us. It's just nice to be able to give her back.

Saturday we went to visit cousins over in Gosport, bit off Wii playing, bit of X Factor. All the usual Winter Saturday-night-in goings on!

Sunday morning I decided to teach Grace how to cook my favourite dinner (You know just in case I'm ill and that, 6 year olds are allowed to use an oven unsupervised, right?) but we got half way through preparing it and my Dad called to say he and his partner were taking us out to lunch so it's been put in the fridge until tonight when we shall finish it and blog about it as really is too delicious to keep to myself.

So we went off for a pub lunch, a bit of Christmas shopping and then we went to see the Christmas lights being switched on in Fareham Town Centre by non other than the real PEPPA PIG AND SANTA! Followed by some fireworks and the fantastic Ska Band OffBeat Offensive who had Grace and my Dad up dancing when they played their favourite song - The Specials,  Monkey Man! A lovely evening which involved a little trip to TKMAXX where my Dad bought me this little vintage-esque owl lantern with a Christmas Spice scented candle in, I absolutely love it!

Now back to work in the pouring rain. Just lovely!

Prima Princess Nutcracker Ballet DVD Review.

Grace and I recently reviewed this fab interactive DVD for Working Parents United.

You can read the review here.

Owl Stocking Fillers

Don't you just love Primark?

Six Songs Of Me

I came across this over on Kate Takes 5's blog and thought it was a nice idea so here is mine.

The Guardian has a great little feature as part of their Music section that's called Six Songs of Me.

So here is my entry -

1. What was the first song you ever bought?
I remember having a vinyl of Sandy Shaw's Puppet On a String that was the first I ever owned but the first one I actually remember buying myself was Take That's Babe. Still love them!

2. What song always gets you dancing?
The Smith's This Charming Man. They've been my favourite band for a very very long time and this is the most cheerful and always makes me smile when I hear it!


3. What song takes you back to your childhood?
Madness - My Girl. Favourite band in many homes in the 80's I imagine but especially mine. My dad was a mod so any ska music takes me right back to being 6 years old and dancing round the kitchen with him.


4. What is your perfect love song?
Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet. I think this song is absolutely perfect in every way. I can listen to it over and over again and often do. 


5. What song would you want at your funeral?
Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye. Decided this the first time I ever heard it. 


6. Time for the encore. One last song that make you you.
The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into The Sun. Fell in love with this band the minute I heard this song and had many happy times over the years because of this, a time that made me who I am today.

Our little Owlie Clock!

Anyone who knows me, knows about my little obsession with all things owl themed. We have owl cushions in our living room, I have a huge owl canvas on the wall, owl curtains, a little one sat on the edge of the edge of my shelving unit, and they are just the things I can see right now as I write this.

On a shopping trip to Spitalfields Market in Shoreditch in the summer I saw a beautiful vintage owl clock, I fell in love with it but I wasn't paying £60 for a bloody clock so G and I had the idea of making our own. Having recently moved house it has only just been taken out of the box and put up so I thought I'd share it with you.

The most expensive part was clock kit for £4.25 on Amazon! We used an old cardboard box and went to Hobbycraft for some pretty patterned paper and a couple of big dark buttons.

I drew out an owl shape on the cardboard box and then some wing shapes on one of the patterned sheets, big circles for the outer eyes, a little beak and  drew round the top half of the cardboard shape on one of the sheets for the head. G cut them all out and glued them on, then stuck the buttons on for the eyes and I put the clock kit in for her which already had a hook on making it ready to hang! Simple but looks fab and all her friends who visit love it and she loves telling them she made it herself!

Here she is showing it off!

And here it is up on the wall...

Five Top Tips For A Greener Christmas

Green campaigning charity Friends of the Earth has put together five top tips to help people save the planet and some cash this Christmas without losing any Yuletide fun.

Paperless Christmas

Abandon wrapping paper - it's expensive, can be hard to recycle and is a huge 10,000-ton burden in landfill every year. Instead wrap presents in fabric, newspapers, old wallpaper, posters or recycled wrapping paper. Tying gifts up with string or ribbon instead of tape can create something truly special for your friends and family and allow them to re-use the wrapping.

Gift buying with a charitable twist

Two online shops have teamed up with Friends of the Earth to ensure you can donate vital funds to their campaigning work to keep the planet safe and healthy at the same time as getting some great gift inspiration. Check out The Natural Collection for beautiful and eco-friendly fashion, beauty and home gifts. Friends of the Earth will receive a donation of 10% of your order. For bookworms, The Book Depository donates 5% to friends of the Earth.

(If anyone wants to buy me one of their gifts... hint hint....)

A tree is for life not just for christmas

Did you know that you can rent a real Christmas tree rather than buy one? Plenty of businesses now offer this service and after Christmas they collect the tree and return it to the ground. I think this is a fantastic idea! Try The Little Tree Company.

Keep it going

Consider buying rechargeable batteries and a charger to go with any electrical gifts - these purse-friendly add-ons are up to 32 times greener than normal battreries. Prioritise gifts that don't need batteries or use solar or wind-up power, such as wind-up portiable radios - perfect for next year's festive season!

Two's company, three's a party

Save money on petrol by sharing lifts with friends when you brave the shops. Transport is the third largest source of UK greenhouse gases and accounts for over 20% of our total emissions. For car sharing friends you have yet to meet try www.gocarshare.com.

Little changes to reduce your impact on the environment over the festive poeriod can make all the difference to the plant - and your purse! 

Our weekend.

This weekend was a bit of a quiet one but lovely nonetheless.

Saturday we went out for lunch with my Dad and his partner and had a little wonder round the shops. Portsmouth and Southsea have the most wonderful charity shops where I never fail to come home without someone else's unwanted crap some beautiful vintage goodies. This weekend I got this beautiful tapestry bag for just £4. I am in love with it!

Sunday morning we spent at home. G has inherited my love for crafts and is really getting into it at the moment so we spent the morning making pretty frames from some old plain wood frames I picked up in a charity shop and lots of buttons! I personally think they look amazing and everyone who has been in since has commented on them! 

We did try and have a day at home but I've never been very good at that so we went off the cinema to watch the HILARIOUS Hotel Transyvania. Absolutely great film, laugh out loud funny for all the family (lots of adult references to keep the grown ups entertained). Then we went for a little wonder around Gunwharf Quays then for ice cream. This earned me the title of 'Bestest Mummy she's ever had' as she isn't usually allowed Ice Cream as she goes MENTAL but she had been very helpful at school on Friday and I was in a particularly patient mood! 

Lindt Heaven!! I had to leave here pretty quickly, I was gaining weight just looking.

October Glossy Box.

Being a Beauty and Make-up Student, I was delighted to discover GLOSSYBOX.

For £10.00 a month +P&P, you receive 5 miniatures of high-end beauty products to sample and give feedback if you wish.

The theme of this months box is DIY Beauty, a selection of products for a cosy, pampering night in. So what with the broken foot, nights in and making myself feel good are right up my street at the moment!! 2 out of the 5 products I received were full size and 4 out of 5 of them were from brands I weren't familiar with so it's a great way of discovering new products.

What I got -

Anatomicals 'don't just clean it woman, scrub it' Body Scrub

One thing I really look for in a product, as long as I'm not using it on my face, is a good scent. This pink grapefruit scented scrub not only smells great but also left usually very dry legs feeling great. After just one use there was a noticeable shine to my skin. The packaging drove my OCD a bit mental with the lack of capital letters but that's just being picky isn't it? It really is a great scrub and I will definitely be purchasing the full size product (200ml for £3.49)

Yves Rocher France Instant Anti-Wrinkle Moisturiser - HYDA VEGETAL.

Now I'm only 29, and not to blow my own trumpet but I have pretty youthful looking skin (I VERY rarely get to purchase a bottle of wine without having to prove I'm old enough to do so... It has it's downsides!) so I can't really give a review on that aspect of this one but it left my skin looking visibly 'plump' around the eyes and goes on really smoothly and feels great. This one was a full size product of 30ml so will last a long time (maybe even til the wrinkles do come along. I've jinxed myself now haven't I!?)

Skinetica Anti-Blemish

I'm prone to blackheads on my nose, bloody horrible things. I don't tend to get spots other than that but I get them in abundance leaving me with a bit of a red nose! I popped a bit of this on my nose last night and again this morning and I've noticed a slight difference, the skin looks a bit smoother but I think I'll need to keep it up for any real affect so seeing as it has started already I'll definitely be purchasing this to see how it goes!

The Organic Pharmacy Enzyme Peel Mask with Vitamin C and Papaya.

Another brand I hadn't heard of before but was VERY impressed with, you put it on as a face mask, leave for 10 minutes then wash off. It spreads really evenly and feels very smooth but you get a slight tingling feeling when it's on which did feel a bit uncomfortable if I'm being fussy but, taking off the top layer of skin it does leave you feeling silky smooth.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure.

This was the one brand I had heard of before. I've got utterly rubbish nails that are like paper so I have previously tried the Sally Hansen nail strengthener. This products claims to have 5 steps of a manicure in 1 bottle - Base Coat, Strengthener, Growth Treatment, Colour and Top Coat. I'm so bad at applying nail varnish usually, I could ask my 6 year old to do it for me and probably get a similar result but this one went on really well and does have the shine and coverage of a salon manicure, if it stays on longer than a day which is usually my limit then I'll be totally impressed! 

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Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Me and The Corpse Bride.

A Trip To The Zoo.

We recently took a drive up to Southampton for a day out at Marwell Wildlife Park for my cousin's daughter's 3rd birthday.

It was nice chilly day (I say nice as it is quite a walk around the whole park so wouldn't have been as much fun if it was baking hot) so we got wrapped up in our woollens and coats, which always makes a day out seem more fun to me! I just love this time of year.

The park were great, they gave a reduced entry fee to my disabled Uncle and free entry to my Aunt as his carer and also offered use of a wheelchair for a £10 returnable deposit which really helped him to enjoy the day.

The younger kids had a fantastic day, being so close to animals they had only seen before in books and on TV was really quite fascinating for them. Mine, being six now, really enjoyed reading all the information given about the animals and telling me 'I ALREADY KNEW THAT!!' about the ones she has already learnt about at school and we got to see the giraffes being fed which they all absolutely loved.

Unfortunately there were a lot of empty enclosures on the day so a bit of time was spent looking for animals which weren't actually there!

The gift shop at Marwell (always my favourite part of a day out!) is really quite spectacular. It's HUGE and has a great range of posters, all the usual gift shop souvenirs (stationary, magnets etc) some great toys, lots of educational books, sweets and a face-painter  I have an ever-growing magnet collection (I know, right? How cool am I?) so G picked one out, along with a postcard for school, a small monkey (she loves monkeys as we've always said she looks like one. Bit cruel?) and got her face painted.

All in all a great value, good fun day out for all the family. Just be prepared for achy legs the next day if you're anything like me and your daily exercise is the walk up the stairs to bed at night, as like I say, it is really quite a long walk round!

Day Zero Project.

I seem to be a bit late to the party but I have just come across this challenge http://dayzeroproject.com/ and think it's an absolutely fantastic idea for self improvement.

The idea is to make a to-do list 101 things and complete them over 1001 days.

My starting date is today, Sunday 28th October 2012, meaning my resulting date is;

Sunday, 26 July 2015


So, my list is as follows, I will cross them off as I achieve them.

1. Be a size 12 again.
2. Open a savings account. 21.12.12
3. Qualify as a Beauty Therapist.
4. Build a client base.
5. Start a writing course.
6. Decorate G's bedroom. 03.11.2012
7. Give up smoking.
8. Spend a weekend camping.
9. Buy a sewing machine.
10. Improve my crochet skills.
11. Get my lounge window fixed.
12. Take a vintage make up techniques course.
13. Dip dye my hair.
14. Buy a new washing machine. Dec 2012 (OK my Dad bought it, but at least I got one!)
15. Do the marvelash course.
16. Go to Disneyland.
17. Write a letter to myself to open on day 1001.
18. Tell G, at bedtime every night, something she has done to make me smile that day.
19. Say yes to something I would usually be too scared to do.
20. Update my blog at least once a week.
21. Answer the '50 Questions that will open your mind'.
22. List 20 things that make me happy.
23. Learn to stick to, and complete, one task before starting more and overwhelming myself.
24. Don't swear for a whole week.
25. Talk to my Nan.
26. Read a self help book on confidence.
27. Write G a letter.
28. Don't say anything negative for a whole week.
29. Deactivate Facebook for a week.
30. Get G's name tattooed on my hand.
31. Get my nose pierced.
32. Go a month without buying anything I don't need.
33. Sell something on Ebay.
34. Save a £500 'emergency stash'.
35. Save £1 for  every cigarette I smoke for 2 weeks.
36. Spend the above on G.
37. Develop an alternative source of income. Dec 2012 ( Started writing for WattKidsNews)
38. See 10 classic movies that I haven't seen.
39. Write a short story.
40. Leave a note inside a library book.
41. Buy The Big Issue.
42. Print my instagrams and put them in a collage frame.
43. Document a 'day in the life of me' in photographs.
44. Do an Easter egg hunt for G and L.
45. Sort out my storage boxes.
46. Have a picnic in a park.
47. Visit Brighton.
48. List 10 things that have made me happy every month.
49. Make G's teacher's Christmas gifts. Dec 2012 (Made them hot chocolate and snowman biscuit sets)
50. Learn nail art.
51. Make G a memory box.
52. Take G abroad.
53. Fall in love.
54. Get a new phone. 20/12/12
55. Go to Camden Market.
56. For a whole month, tell people how they make me feel instead of just being polite.
57. Get a new job.
58. Don't drink coke for a whole week (doubtful about this one if I'm honest)
59. Have a real xmas tree.
60. Make my own xmas decorations.
61. Have a weekend away with friends.
62. List 10 people I love and tell them why.
63. Don't move house for the whole 1001 days.
64. Make a Halloween costume in it's entirety. Halloween 2012 - Corpse Bride.
65. Make a 3 course meal from scratch for friends.
66. Take a whole school holiday off work. Christmas 2012 
67. Enrol G in a drama class.
68. Make 5 new friends.
69. See Madness.
70. Do the shoebox Christmas gift thing.
71. Move on from the people who make me unhappy.
72. Deal with my self-doubt.
73. Visit the North.
74. Read 50 books.
75. Don't eat out for a whole month.
76. Have a facial. 08.11.2012
77. Wear heels.
78. Don't be late for anything for 2 weeks.
79. Bake and decorate a cake.
80. Get my teeth whitened.
81. Get an article published.
82. Teach G to swim confidently.
83. Try sushi.
84. Have my hair done for a night out.
85. Give a street artist money.
86. Meet a celebrity.
87. Go to the cinema or watch a film once a month.
89. Do a carboot sale.
90. Apply for a job I would usually consider out of my reach.
91. Create a new CV.
92. Help a stranger.
93. Say yes to every social event I am invited to for 2 months.
94. Repair the stairs.
95. Make a dish I wouldn't usually go for.
96. Be ready for Christmas by December 1st.
97. Tell the truth about why I don't want to do things for 1 month instead of making an excuse.
98. Do something for the BDFA Battens Disease charity.
99. Buy someone flowers 'just because'.
100. Get at least 3 certificates, even if they are all in the same field.
101. Make sure Grace has a reason to be happy every day.

I would be massively proud of myself if I achieve every one of these in the time frame but of course, some are more important than others and some a lot more achievable so I would consider 75% a success.

How My Children See Me meme

My daughter's drawing of me for the 'How my children see me' meme over on Sticky Fingers. Just lovely... don't know what's happened to my cheek?

Silent Sunday - One photo to sum up my week.

Skin Truth Products Review

I am a student Beautician and have been asked to review some products. I won't be including them all on here but as this one is so affordable I thought I'd share it.

I've recently been trying out Skintruth Equalising Cleanser, Toner and Moisturiser on myself.

I had always used Clinique products in the past, but being a single Mummy and all I can no longer justify paying out so much on what is essentially a luxury. OK I know cleansing isn't a luxury but using such expensive stuff when there's great affordable products just doesn't make sense for me!

Skintruth's Cleanser and Moisturiser retail at £7.30 and the toner at £5 but less if you buy from trade stores (many of which are open to the public) and are fantastic value for money.  The Cleanser and Moisturiser are in huge 500ml bottles and the toner in a 250ml.

I have combination skin. A very oily forehead but dry nose and chin, and the equalising products claim to er.. equalise!

And do that they have! My skin feels absolutely fantastic and that is not something I can say often. I have even (wait for it....) stopped wearing foundation (!!!) and have had comments on how clear and 'plump' my skin looks.

The cleanser doesn't dry out quickly so you only need a small amount for a good, thorough cleanse. 2 drops of toner is plenty and the moisturiser rubs in well and spreads nicely so again, only a small amount needed and leaves my skin feeling very fresh and clean.

I would highly recommend these products to anyone with combination skin and intend to use them on my clients as they are such great value for money.

My own take on Carbonara.

Now I LOVE a Carbonara. But fancied giving it a bit more flavour and slimming it down a bit so here's my virtually fat-free version. Bit of an odd combo but everyone who I have cooked it for has been very complimentary. And that includes my Mum who doesn't do polite so I know she meant it!

Great for kids too, it's my daughter's favourite and it's very quick to make.

Ingredients -

250g dried pasta (and type really, I usually just use penne)
1 red or green pepper
12 cherry tomatoes
5 rashers of trimmed bacon (I usually just buy medallions to save time but if not just ensure all visible fat is cut off)
200g mushrooms
Garlic (as much as you like really, I use ALOT, like 4 cloves or 2 tbsp if I'm using the lazy stuff)
Fry Light One Cal cooking oil.

Sauce-
100g Quark (skimmed milk cream cheese)
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper

Method to the madness -

While the pasta is cooking, chop up the pepper and shallow fry over a medium heat in fry light, chop the mushrooms however you like them and add them next. These 2 take the longest to cook in the fry light so best to start with them. Then slice your bacon and chuck that in too then finally half your tomatoes and add them.

Now if you're using fresh garlic I'd chop and add that now.

Turn down to a low heat and mix all the sauce ingredients in a large pan. Also take a couple of tbsp's of the pasta water and add to loosen the quark. If using lazy garlic add that now.

Finally when all your ingredients are cooked (about 10 minutes from start to finish usually) add them all in to the pan of sauce, with the pasta and mix it all together and serve!

Serves 4, I'd usually do it with a bit of chopped salad or broccoli.

Enjoy!

Intro.

Hiya, welcome to my blog.

So first post usually starts with a bit of an about me and what to expect so here goes...!

About Me.

I'm a 29 year old, single, working Mummy of one.

I'm a part-time secretary and a Beauty and Make Up Student, hoping to become a freelance Beautician and Wedding Make Up Artist when I'm qualified.

My daughter is 6 and is truly wonderful. She makes me ridiculously proud on a daily basis with her kindness and intelligence, but she's also very short tempered and a mega show off so, swings and roundabouts and all that hey?

I have a very dry, verging on inappropriate, sense of humour. If it's one of those 'I shouldn't laugh' moments, you can guarantee I'm already laughing.

I live on the South Coast, in a rented flat. It's lovely and cosy and we're very happy here. BUT I move ALOT so I don't know how long that'll last!!

What To Expect.

I like to cook. I try to make things as healthy as possible (not because I'm a SuperMum but because I'm a fat bastard and I'm constantly on a diet) so will post a few recipes of the fat free(-ish) dishes I like to make.

I love vintage fashions and interiors so will be posting idea's and showing the crap I pick up in charity shops and car boot sales.

I have an opinion on pretty much everything so to be honest, it'll be a bit of pretty much everything! Mummy stuff, reviews, bit of make up and beauty and tips I pick up along the way.

Hope you enjoy reading!

J