Food Glorious Food!!

I think since Facebook, I've lost the art of cooking, reading recipe  books and all round good eating!
I think I got caught up in the soap opera of face book!
But since I've been looking at my happy moments ....who is doing what is less important and other things are more important ....Still love Facebook though !
So this week I've enjoyed some yummy food!
Vietnamese out with my family on Sunday!
Being given a recipe for a beautiful orange cake.
Discussing recipe's with a friend, and food shopping!
A few weeks ago I even made a pizza from scratch!
I love food ....My Dad is a chef, so I should be good at food!

So here is to rediscovering a passion .....and finding happiness!

Happy for Family

On Sunday night, my Husband, Mr 12 and Miss 8 went out on a family night!
We went for dinner at Southbank at a beautiful Vietnamese restaurant followed by a trip to the theatre to see Mary Poppins!

What struck me was there delight I get from these three special people in my life!
Honestly I could have just sat and watched with Mr 12 or Miss 8's face all night enjoying the musical!

I think in the busyness of life we forget how much beauty there is in those we love are.

Sometimes I think I've been missing my Mum too much to stop and see exactly what was right in front of me......pure love and pure enjoyment!

I'm not for one moment describing my kids as perfect ......far from it! But they are mine, and I love them! They are funny, kind and best of all I enjoy hanging out with them ....and Hubby too!

It was lovely to see how Mary Poppins changed the outlook for the 'Bank's' family .....I think she may have made a few changes in my outlook too .....So thanks Mary!

Sometimes we need to reflect on what we have rather than what is lost!

Love you my family and I look forward to many more family dates filled with fun and laughter xxoo

The Art of Romance!

Finding Happiness in Love!

Roughly 20 years ago my eighteen year old self went out with a friend to a nightclub! It was the fourth of July and we were out to get free drinks from American sailors who were in town! She also invited her male friend, who turned up with a long  blonde fringe and wearing a rather nice coat (It was the early nineties ....she chambray shirt was pretty hot too) and a dashing English accent (my weakness), I was smitten and we started going out!
But my friend kept telling me he was creepy and so I used my best Cosmo dump line .....your not the sort of man I want to go out with, you are the type I wan to Marry!
Lucky for me, he took his dumping well and after many drunken pashes (with one another) we finally got it together ....our families thought we had been together for years anyway!

Fast forward twenty years, a time living overseas, two kids, a marriage, two houses later ....the boy with the blonde locks has now gone darker and a bit old and his accent has faded a bit ...but now no one can tell me he is creepy cause I know they are wrong!

So on this week ....the most romantic of them all because of Valentine's my husband surprises me with a big bunch of flowers delivered to my work

The flowers mean a lot but really it's the little things that make our relationship so wonderful

The coffee in the morning

The way he loves our children

The way he hugs me

When he cleans the kitchen

The way he sticks by me, he supports me, he encourages me!

He is my Soul Mate.....My everything and I love him!

So thanks for the flowers ....I loved them!

But next year I won't expect them, because for me Romance is everywhere

xxxooo

Little bit's of happiness ...going with the flow!

Sometimes it's so easy to point my phone and take a picture and other day are much harder ....but her are the last ten days or so!

Drinkies with my fantastic neighbours .....in their beautiful house!

A quick dip on a summer's afternoon

Pizza made from scratch!

Actually making the time to be organised!!!

Reading the Sunday Paper in Bed!!

Another fantastic 'Poppy' meal

Friends over for a swim

The list goes on!

I suppose the man who orchestrates many of the happy moments in my life is my wonderful caring and loving husband! I count myself as blessed in life! Just one example of his love is almost every day since we moved in together, my wonderful caring man has made me a hot drink in bed every morning ......He makes me happy every day xxoo

Here he is with the other woman .....good thing I'm happy to share him with her!

Working Mum v's SAHM

Thank you Gwyneth  ........NOT!
Today I have read a few blogs about Gwyneth Paltrow's article which I think appeared in a UK magazine!
In the article Gwyneth stated that she believed that Woman who choose to have children should stay at home!
Hello Gwyneth in your lovely made up world of famous people I am sure you can have this rule!
In the real world there a many a day where I would love to be home for my children, cooking up a storm for Hubby's return. Actually I would enjoy it for about a week ....and then I would be bored!What would I really do ....here are only so many morning teas you can go to, tuck shop day's, reading helper I could really stand!Not to mention living in the world of Lorna Jane politic's!
But really why do we have the working Mum/ SAHM argument anyway....and what happens when the SAHM decides she needs work?
I've never really been a SAHM...Master 12 was unplanned and at the 12 month mark I had to go back to work .....so we could eat! With Miss 8 I took 12 months maternity leave and went back to work ....so as I said never really been a SAHM.
The other thing is I have a career not a job....a career that doesn't pay well but it gives back to the community. I love the feeling of giving back to the community and I think I'm OK at my job!
So why give up???? My BFF went back to work full time when her little guy was twelve months old. She had the better career and hubby now works part time and looks after their boy! And I'm amazed at how people think he is some kind of genius for doing this .....pretty sure if it was the other way around we would be questioning the wife for working part time.
So really back to my basic statement back to Gwyneth ....If you are a Mum, do what works for you! If you feel you need to work ....do and if you don't well don't!
But to us Working Mum's lets support each other, because somehow in beautiful 2012 ....some 1980's debate is still raising it's ugly head!
PS I would really like to know if Gwyneth runs a stall at the school fete, sells raffle tickets, works on tuck shop or contacts books for the school library ....cause I do!
Oh and Gwyneth hope you or Hubby haven't missed a music concert and listened to the cat crying yells of a string orchestra, and I hope you make it to every assembly and cross country or are you too busy at Yoga?
PS Gwyneth ...I have made the ultimate sacrifice for my kids ....my size eight body! I notice yours is all trimmed and toned!