Number Eleven - 21 Again!

Hi everyone :) 

Thanks for checking back again! So I have had a busy old week and I have family updates too - YEY!!

So first off 'The Hubster' and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on Monday - yey for us, and as our tradition dictates every year instead of getting each other gifts we buy something together for the house, so we have picked out a nice new black circular sink and a new black worktop for the kitchen - I'm excited for them to get here - our kitchen will really look like it's ours then! Did you know that traditionally the 7th anniversary gifts are copper or wool? Random right!

Wednesday cam around and meant we had to take Michael to his first physio appointment - he did really well and they gave us some great exercises for him to do to hopefully strengthen the muscles in his legs and arms, and relieve some of the tension in the ones that are struggling, hopefully alleviating some of the pain he's in. She was a lovely lady and very impressed with Michael - she also mentioned that she thought he could be a great paralympian when he's older - he was ecstatic!! We have to go back every 6/8 weeks to check on his progress and change up the exercises a bit - he is already looking forward to it.

Friday brought around my birthday - 21 again - and to start it off I went to see my mum who treated my to a nice brekkie, followed by pressies - I now have a 'Keep Calm and Log onto Facebook' pink travel mug, and a 'You Are My Sunshine' sign (I blogged about wanting it previously here) so I was super chuffed. We then went to see my Nanna who was a little poorly, but still on form - she even sang me the You Are My Sunshine song - which just made the pressie all the more special. I went to see Robs for lunch (Big Tasty - Yum) and then back to the boys school to take Michael to see Mr Price his orthopedic surgeon, who doesn't think there is anything he can do to help until Michael is around 10, and then the only thing he can do is to cut the bones and reset them - Michael looked a little scared but hopefully with physio we may be able to avoid that. After Rugby in the evening My mum came over to babysit and Robs took me out to dinner - AMAZING, and I even indulged and had a couple of cocktails, heehee - the added bonus to being on the minimum dose of antidepressants is now I can drink again! YEY!!

Saturday was the best, Robs continued my birthday celebrations by letting me have a lie in (till eleven!!) and woke me up with breakfast in bed, which the boys shared, then before we headed out we called Uncle Eric and I introduced everyone to him - the boys loved talking to him and he and Robs got on really well - they share a love of rugby!

 The boys then took me shopping for my birthday presents. Halfords was our first stop and I was instructed to pick out a new D.A.B digital radio CD player with iPod/iPhone compatibility - I'm a bit of a geek and love my gadgets - and so I told Robs the ones I liked, we checked stock and spec and found two that were perfect for the job - after grilling the sales clerk it eventually came down to which one was prettiest - LOL - and when he showed me the fold down function for the CD entry I was sold, yes I may be a geek but I am also a girl! I am sooooo chuffed with it - I can listen to all my mp3's, my iTunes albums and podcast's  loads of different radio stations on D.A.B, FM, LW and MW and I can plug in USB devices too - oh and they charge!! Anyhoo I love it, then we went to the Apple shop to get a new cable which means I can finally use my iPhone to it's full potential again - yes! I was also treated to lunch at KFC - my first ever, and it was lush, I couldn't believe the queues though, we queued outside of the restaurant  and the drive through ha at least 30 if not 40 cars waiting! Very popular!

So a good week I'd say! Now onto the family update :D

My 'Auntie' Cherryl (actually a cousin) is so completely amazing when it comes to finding family members - how exactly I have no idea, but she is amazing at it. Anyway - my mum sat me down on my birthday to tell me that Cherryl had managed to find my brother - and he had another little boy (so I have another Nephew) and I was able to speak to his mum yesterday, she is lovely, and is setting it up for me to speak to my nephew this evening! I can't wait. Mum has sent a letter to my brother so I am reeeeeeeally hoping to get a response  although I would completely understand if I don't get one. So I was on cloud nine knowing we had found him, but then today... Cherryl came up trumps again and found my sister - I even have a phone number for her!! She has at least four if not five sons (more nephews YES!!!!) and I have been trying together her all day, but alas she has been out (I have spoken to my nephews though, not that they know it!!) and so I will try again this evening, she was at 'the stables' when I called the last time, I wonder if she has a horse? :D 

So I actually have my brother and sister, and know where they are! Amazing right - I just hope they want to speak to me, again it is understandable if not, I mean dad left them, but fingers crossed they can see past that and will let me love them the way I want to so badly - even if not though I still have my new nephew (bro's son) and can;t wait to meet him soon - Him and Mathew re going to get on like a house on fire, they both love mine-craft  and he is happy for me to send him pressies at Christmas and birthdays - oh and he's 13 :) His mum sent me an up to date picture of him last night - he's a strapping lad, and funnily enough looks like me :) hehehehe :) I am ridiculously excited to get all this finally sorted an in place. I promise to update once I have spoken to my sister, and hopefully had a response from my brother!

Lots of smiles to you all :) 

xxx

Number Ten - Birthday Dreams

Hi everyone, 

First off a big thanks for reading - I have crossed 4600 mark now and am super chuffed that you've found me interesting enough to read and follow! Your either starved for entertainment or I'm getting the hang of this writing lark!

I want to talk to you today about my birthday... 

Now being that it's not a big milestone or anything, a party isn't necessary (call of the party planners) and a big gesture isn't needed (that Tiffany necklace can be sent back) but I still want to do something, but not be pretentious about it.

Is it weird to want to throw my own little tea party? Make lots of gorgeous foods, drinks and decorate everywhere really prettily? Yes I think maybe it is - so instead I'll pretend and tell you exactly what I would do if I could...
So I'm pretty sure this has all come about due to my favourite website having such amazing ideas - Pinterest - it is like a haven of awesomeness that once I log into I can sit for hours and hours (days even) looking at all the pretty pictures or foods, beautiful people, clothing, designs, photographs, thoughts and feelings. 

I've recently been pinning a lot (insane amount) of food piccies and recipes and thought I would share with you some of my favourites - these are all perfect for a party and definitely something I would love to eat at one... mine :) 

Savouries:

Sandwich Kebabs - 
Kebab sticks with thin folds of ham/turkey/chicken/prosciutto/chorizo interspersed with cherry tomatoes,  goats cheese/cheddar cheese cubes, wafer thin slices of cucumber, little olives, triangles of pepper and wholemeal/white bread. 

Sliders - 
Miniature burgers, either beef or chicken - ketchup, mayo, cheese, pepper, cooked onions and salad. All held together with a skewer.

Dippers - 
Shot glasses with a teaspoon of ketchup in the bottom and a handful of chips stood up in them. Also done with mayo and peppers, sour cream and skinny chicken goujons.

Stuffed - 
Hallowed out sweet potato and Desiree potatoes stuffed with fresh salsa and goats cheese or cheddar, bacon and spring onions. Mushroom cups stuffed with cheese onion garlic and crispy bacon. Mini pepper tops/bottoms stuffed with beef chili con carne and topped with cheese then grilled. Sausage balls stuffed with peppers and mozzarella  Giant pasta shells stuffed with pepperoni, cheese, and tomato sauce.

Pull Apart - 
Garlic and herb flat bread smothered in melted butter, roughly cut so a pull is needed - extremely satisfying  A bloomer loaf sliced down but not through the bottom to leave cm towers of bread, cover with sour cream, cheddar, crispy bacon, cooked onions and then grilled for ten minutes and served hot.

You can view my Scrumptious Savoury Pin Board by clicking on the words, but be warned once you start pinning and looking you'll be hooked!

Sweet Treats:

Cookie Love - 
Strawberry Meringue cookies dipped in thick dark chocolate. Royal Icing decorated cookies in varying degrees of cuteness. Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Mars bar and Milky-way pieces in the centre.

Cake Madness - 
Chocolate blackout cake; three layers of super moist chocolate mud cake, sandwiched with chocolate butter-cream, and covered with the same, then chocolate vermicelli all over the outer butter-cream. Banana bread and cinnamon heart shaped waffles; basic banana bread recipe but add a teaspoon of cinnamon too then spoon into your waffle maker and voila! bite sized strawberry cheesecake squares. Strawberry and lemon petit fours covered in poured fondant and decorated with little fondant hearts and colourful fondant gerbera.

Miniatures - 
Mini donuts half dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. Mini cupcakes in various fresh flavors with miniature butter-cream swirls and fondant decorations. Miniature chocolate whoopee pies filled with chocolate cream and Miniature macaroons in pastel colours. And if at all possible Miniature candyfloss on sticks - in pale pink, blue, green and yellow.

The more I write this the more I want to go and live in my kitchen for the next three days making all these fabulous sounding things - You can check out some of the ideas on my Cakes and Cake-Pops and Treats... Oh My! board and my All Things Cookie board by clicking on the words - they are all on my Pinterest page, but again I warn you - especially getting into sweet things - it's impossible to draw yourself away!

Now decoration wise I have seen some amazing ideas; 

• Getting a hula hoop and 8 different single coloured plastic table cloths (preferably pastel shades), cutting then into foot two foot wide strips, attaching them to the hula hoop on one end, hanging it up in the centre of the room and then affixing the other ends of the cloths to the ceiling/wall to make a funk coloured tent feeling to the room - and to hide the hoop; hang balloons from the centre of the room in matching colours. 
• Grab as many little tumblers/shot glasses as you have, and an equal amount of balloons in the same colour as your party decor. Take your balloon and cut the top off about an inch down the neck of the balloon. Slide the balloon over the tumbler so that the cut off bit is where the glass opening is. Press the cut off into the glass and voila - a cute matching vase, half fill the glass and add one flower to the makeshift vase - mine would be gerbera.
• Fairy lights on a long string would be my next, fastened onto the wall in a joined up writing style word - Birthday, or Samantha, of Happiness - whatever takes your fancy really.

I have about a million more of these ideas - but rather than bore you, you can check out all my inspirations and ideas I've found here on my Have A Go - Tutorials, Make and Do Creations and Design Delights For My Home boards on my Pinterest page. 

I would have loads of lovely drinks o including special peach fizz, champers, bucks fizz, and homemade warm cider. There would be music - soft stuff like Michael Buble, Katie Melua, George Benson, Coldplay, Adele  Lionel Ritchie and some other of my favourite easy listening artists. We would eat, drink, chat, and maybe even watch some of my favourite movies on lots of soft plush cushions.

Ok so I have dreamt long enough about this - but would love to know what you all think and what our party ideas would be - leave me a comment if you like :) 

Take care lovelies and I'll be back soon - promise!
xxx