As a child I would spend hours playing with my dolls, they all had names and their own special clothes. My mum would knit or crochet them little cardigans, hats, booties and blankets and every night they would be tucked up in beds. The next day they would be my pupils as I played imaginary schools with them. Little wonder I loved dressing up my own children when they came along. Matching socks to outfits for the boys, then matching outfits for them when there was two of them. They were probably two of the smartest boys around. However I was totally in my element when my first daughter arrived, pink, red, flowers …the options for beautiful girls clothes is endless.
Sadly I grew a little tomboy who refused from the age of two to either wear any clothes at all (yes we were the family in Malaga airport with the naked child once) or to only wear trousers or shorts. So, all the beautiful dresses at my disposal were not worn.
However, daughter number two ‘I’ was the total opposite, refusing to wear shorts or trousers until very recently. I love little girls, and big girls, in pretty dresses, especially smock ones but there are not many places that sell them now. It seems that most shops expect girls to dress up as mini versions of their mums or in clothes that make them look so much older than they should. What is it about society rushing our children through childhood? We all know it doesn’t last that long. Vertbaudet does sell lovely traditional and practical girls clothes though, which is why I have been shopping with them for years. They provided the lovely dresses in the pictures that are practical and reasonably priced. ‘I’ is aged 8 years but very nearly 9 years old. The clothes are 9/10 years and are very generous in size so slightly big at the moment.
I highly recommend Vertbaudet for stylish and traditional clothes at competitive prices that are hard wearing and will last.
Dating, hmmmm it’s not really on my mind at the moment. To be honest I never imagined I would have to worry about it again but I am on my own and if I want to meet anyone new then it is unlikely that they are just going to turn up on my doorstep. How very inconsiderate Cupid’s arrow…
However with five children keeping me busy,
1, I don’t seem to have the time to even give it any consideration,
2, I find the whole thing a little scary and depressing and
3, I do have five children and that’s enough to scare most people off.
I have to say dating for parents can be a daunting experience but I have come to the conclusion that you have to make some effort though, especially if you are a stay at home parent or working from home parent. The usual work office banter and flirtations, the drinks on a Friday night or the office parties are not going to take place so it seems that the ‘thing to do’ nowadays is online dating. Otherwise it is quite likely that the only people you meet on a day to day basis are ones on the school run or the delivery person with your latest online order. For most of us you can forget about meeting the new love of your life in a bar on a night out with friends, it’s just not going to happen. Club nights out are for friends and for having a dance and a few drinks and a lot of fun.
I think singles in London have it slightly easier than single men and women in the rural location that I live in where everyone knows everyone and and everyone is someone’s ex. Not the easiest start to a relationship. In London there are more people to get out and meet.
Many of my friends have met their partners online and are having a successful time of it, they are aware of stranger danger and always tell a friend where they are going and the name and number of the person they are meeting but you do have to be sensible, after all you don’t know this person so always meet where there are other people. Perhaps meet for a quick daytime coffee first and hopefully you will get a gut feeling about the person.
Life is for living and loving and if you don’t try you will never know. Damn…I need to take some of my own advice. 
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I have always insisted that my children have breakfast before going to school but as a mum to three teens now I have to face the fact that teenagers stay in bed until the last possible minute (ie 10 minutes before their bus is due) This is not conducive to leaving time for cereal or yoghurt. Although I always make sure there is something they can grab from me as they fly out of the door I am keen to give them something different that is packed full of vitamins and minerals and will keep them full all morning.
Welcome to the oatmeal muffin…which can be adapted and changed to taste very different depending on the ingredients. Just as with soup you can get inventive with muffins and throw in what you have in the cupboard but I have tried to make this one fairly nutritious.
Oats release their energy slowly so keep you full for longer, they are a good source of fibre and help lower cholesterol among many other health benefits.
Blueberries are a well known super food packed full vitamins and antioxidants, and although I used dried ones in this recipe dried blueberries are much higher in antioxidants than fresh ones. However if I’d had fresh blueberries I would have used those. It’s a good idea to keep some dried ones in the cupboard though for baking emergencies.
Finally sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. All have significant benefits to health.
Ingredients
- 250ml buttermilk *
- 90g oatmeal
- 125 g melted butter, cooled slightly
- 125g self raising flour
- 50g dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 medium dessert apple such as a Granny Smith peeled and coarsely grated
- 100g dried or fresh blueberries
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12g sunflower seeds
- Preheat the oven to 180•C
- Put the buttermilk and oats in a bowl and leave to stand for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour
- Add the egg to the oat mixture along with the sugar and mix to combine well
- Stir in the melted butter
- Sift all the remaining ingredients, except the sunflower seeds, apple and blueberries, into the mixture and fold very gently.
- Add the apple and blueberries and mix gently
- Spoon the mixture into a muffin tin with liners
- Sprinkle sunflower seeds onto the mixture
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden and firm
- Leave the muffins to cool for ten minutes in the tin before removing
Makes 12
These can be frozen.
*To make buttermilk add 1 tbsp of either white vinegar or lemon juice to 250ml of milk, stir and leave to stand for 5 minutes
As a child I would spend hours playing with my dolls, they all had names and their own special clothes. My mum would knit or crochet them little cardigans, hats, booties and blankets and every night they would be tucked up in beds. The next day they would be my pupils as I played imaginary schools with them. Little wonder I loved dressing up my own children when they came along. Matching socks to outfits for the boys, then matching outfits for them when there was two of them. They were probably two of the smartest boys around. However I was totally in my element when my first daughter arrived, pink, red, flowers …the options for beautiful girls clothes is endless.
I highly recommend Vertbaudet for stylish and traditional clothes at competitive prices that are hard wearing and will last.
