More snow, surely not!

I woke this morning to this beautiful, but high lying snow view from my bedroom window. I love winter and especially the snow, but it's almost the middle of March and we were all getting so excited with Spring peeping its little head around the corner. Whats happening? On the plus side, with the snow comes the guarantee of a cosy fire and some scrummy hot chocolate (+Koko Dairy Free Chocolate Milk). If you haven't tried it you should,  its yum and kids love it too!

I just love the effort that schools and preschools make for Mothers Day and my kids were so excited this morning to give me their cards. They spent the morning doing more drawings for me, so very sweet. What I love most is what they think makes you special, its all so simple, yet it makes every day of hell worthwhile (and gawd there are so many!). I also received the most gorgeous Dendrobium Orchid, it smells heavenly and its now another plant to add to my wonderful indoor garden. Thanks today has to go to a special hubby who took control and even cooked me a wonderful Morocan lamb meal (one of my fave's). It was fairly entertaining to watch from the side whilst crafting as he desperately rummaged through the spice rack trying to find the coriander and cumin seeds, not having the fogiest clue what either of these look like. When I made the comment that cumin seeds looked like fennel seeds I enjoyed a quiet inward giggle knowing that I wasnt being very helpful at all.

My wish for today was to have some time where I can get some stuff done without the usual demands of the kids (my list is forever growing and time is always scarce). We have a birthday party looming and I always get a bit carried away with these things. I just love kids parties and I normally use the opportunity to find some crafty things to do. So for this year we are having a Fairy Princess Party and oh boy am I in trouble!!! There is so much I want to make and so little time (especially with being a way for Easter hols too). Offcourse its pink and girly - oh how very lovely and exciting!! The only problem offcourse is that my crochet project is pretty much on hold for now (boo!) and I am already feeling the loss.

I feel somehow satisfied that I have almost finished the majority of the invites, but now await some more ribbon and a gold pen in order to complete the project. I promise to show and share when its finished. In the meantime here is a little glimpse.

 



 

 

 

 

Giraffe's and Bedgrafs

I just love the language that kids have and I so often wish they could just keep their little language instead of growing up. Esme's new little word is bedgraf for Giraffe, soo cute. Tonight just before reading, Josh (my 5 year old) gave me a note and said 'Mummy this is for you to have now and not tomorrow on Mothers Day'. Heart melting stuff!!

 

 

Es's pic of a Pterodactyl.

Inspirational Woman.

Today is International Woman's Day and it feels that we have come a long way since the 19th and 20th century. Over a hundred years ago the Suffragettes put their lives at risk in the quest to stop civil inequality and the notion that woman were subordinate to men. One hundred years ago, on 5 June 1913, Emily Davison, died whilst throwing a Suffragette banner over a Kings horse at the Derby. Many Suffragettes in their various movements across the world suffered or died in their pursuit to obtain the vote for Woman. So today I want to say a special thanks to all those courageous and inspirational woman, such as Millicent Fawcett who started the 'National Union for Woman's Suffrage' in 1897. Millicent's peaceful and non-violent approach to trying to change the law did bring change, albeit slowly. Then there's the noteworthy Emily Pankhurst together with her two daughters Christabel and Sylvia who found the 'Woman's Social and Political Union' in 1903. Their pursuit to obtain the vote for woman was done with less patience and one could say in a more determined approach.

As woman we need to continue this drive that was instilled in the suffragettes through our daily lives and instill the belief that all races, and genders are equal in our children. It is still so evident that the inequality is so deeply embedded in most cultures and it is our duties as parents to change this mindset and instill a belief of equality in our children. The fact that 1 in 3 woman are beaten or raped around the world, and that woman do two thirds of the work in the world, but only receive 11% of the income confirms that we still have a long way to go still and we must continue to strive for equality on all levels. Here is the link to some interesting facts about woman. I have also listed them if you can't open it (im still new to this blogging lark).
+http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-poignant-facts-about-women-around-world

1. Women perform 66% of the world’s work, but receive only 11% of the world’s income, and own only 1% of the world’s land.
2. Women make up 66% of the world’s illiterate adults.
3. Women head 83% of single-parent families. The number of families nurtured by women alone doubled from 1970 to 1995 (from 5.6 million to 12.2 million).
4. Women account for 55% of all college students, but even when women have equal years of education it does not translate into economic opportunities or political power.
5. There are six million more women than men in the world.
6. Two-thirds of the world’s children who receive less than four years of education are girls. Girls represent nearly 60% of the children not in school.
7. Parents in countries such as China and India sometimes use sex determination tests to find out if their fetus is a girl. Of 8,000 fetuses aborted at a Bombay clinic, 7,999 were female.
8. Wars today affect civilians most, since they are civil wars, guerrilla actions and ethnic disputes over territory or government. 3 out of 4 fatalities of war are women and children.
9. Rape is consciously used as a tool of genocide and weapon of war. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been subjected to rape and other sexual violence since the crisis erupted in Darfur in 2003. There is no evidence of anyone being convicted in Darfur for these atrocities.
10. About 75% of the refugees and internally displaced in the world are women who have lost their families and their homes.
11. Gender-based violence kills one in three women across the world and is the biggest cause of injury and death to women worldwide, causing more deaths and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accident, and war.

Sources:
Amnesty International
US Census Bureau
Women's Learning Partnership

I just finished the book by Kathryn Stockett called 'The Help' and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having been brought up in South Africa during the years of Apartheid, the book resonated with me. Its a topic close to my heart and I felt that the book was really well written. I feel that I also want to say how much respect I have for woman who have to sacrifice soo much, to provide for their families,  how incredibly strong and brave they/you are.

So I felt it apt to start reading Margaret Dickinson's 'Suffragette girl' today. So far so good.

Now to all you lovely bloggers out there who keep inspiring me and making life colourful and interesting, I want to say thank you. Your creativity has been my lifeline over the last three years and I always look forward to know whats happening next.

World Book Day!

Today is World Book Day and how fortunate we are to live a life embroidered with books. They fill me with such joy and so often inspire me beyond words. A day is not a day without reading. Fortunately my little lovelies are also fully submerged into the world of books and at the moment we are going through the nightly battle of getting Josh, our five year old, to switch off his reading lamp (a purchase I thought was a great idea at the time).At the moment he is staying up till way past ten at night reading to himself (which I LOVE), but it is now affecting his little body and his tiredness is taking form in other ways, such as having an upset tummy most days. If anyone has any advice on this, please share. I feel so torn on the matter as I have spent the last five years reading to him and encouraging him to read as often as possible and now that he wants to stay up and read, I am telling him he can't pass a certain time! Its a tough one for me, but I am a firm believer that even kids can identify with the signals their bodies give them and he will hopefully soon learn that he needs some more rest. We will however continue to encourage him to read some books after his 'betime', but equally try and ensure that his light goes out earlier.


So, today their school gave each child a big plackard for them to draw the front cover of their favourite book, and offcourse Josh has chosen Star Wars. It is fair to say that he is completely and utterly obsessed with ALL aspects of Star Wars, whether it is books or LEGO. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't draw a picture of Star Wars. We have been a little reserved with letting him watch all of the episodes as I really feel that they are inappropriate for a five year old. This is tricky though as all his friends at school have already watched them all and so the information flows. We have offcourse gotten every possible book from the liabrary to read so he is most propably pretty well informed about the nitty gritty's of Star Wars. So for today's cover he chose: 'Yoda in Action'. 

 

 

Little Es, who had to dress up as a character of a book and she chose to dress-up as Belle, from Beauty and the Beast and she even wore the heals. She is pretty impressive on heals, I have to say. She can even run in them, something I haven't mastered in my years. It was really lovely today dropping them off at school and seeing what lovely books children had chosen as their favourite books. I think it always says soo much.

Today, my choice of book will be Harper Lee's 'To kill a mockingbird'. I absolutely love this book. It oozes with character, moral dilemnas and racial ineqaulity (something very close to my heart). Its the kinda book that I will read and read again-and-again over the course of my life. I don't think I can ever tire of it. There are many others that come close to this choice, but today I just choose the one.

When I came into my kitchen this morning I was welcomed by the most amazing scent from the lovely daffodils. I just love them. I don't think any space can ever have too many of them. They are just soo beautiful.

Mindfulness & M.E

                                                  

Just a bit more than three years ago, my life was brought to a sudden halt whilst being in the final year of my social work degree. It had been 'mud, sweat and tears' to get to that point with two pregnancies and two babies, but I was desperate to go back and finish the last full time year at Uni when my daughter was only 5 months old. Unfortunately fate had other plans for me and my body definitely couldn't cope with the pace I was subjecting it to, so it basically stopped! It took an agonising ten months for the doctors to diagnose me with Fibromyalgia (M.E). I was pretty much house bound for the first two years of this journey and it has been far from pleasant, I have to confess. It has however been a journey of learning. Learning what my body needs and learning the difference between the mind and body, as my life has been governed by my mind, with very little room or respect for my body. My body was my vehicle to blast a mountain bike round a single track in Wales or Scotland or climb up some rocks in the Peak District or Yosemite. Well, basically my body had had enough of not being heard and it said STOP AND LISTEN!!!

I have been so very fortunate that my hubby has been so incredibly supportive and he has been there with me through thick and thin all the way. Thanks to him and his family we have managed to fund my treatment, which has been pretty expensive to date, but worth it! I have been seeing +Dr Raymond Perrin at the Perrin Clinic in Prestwich (http://www.theperrinclinic.com) for two and a half years now and I really believe that it's made a significant difference. Over and above that I did some telephone work with +The Optimum Health Centre in London, which was great as I was housebound at the time. Through this I started working with an amazing Nutritionist called +Niki Gratrix. She has a great website and blog for anyone with similar M.E and Chronic Fatique related problems. Here is the link: http://www.nikigratrixenergy.com/
M.E is Niki's area of expertise and she has spent a great deal of time working with leading doctors in this field in the US and I can't thank her enough for the work we are still doing together. She introduced me to amazing supplements, some which are done by a company called +Gematria (http://www.gematria.co.uk/acatalog/index.html) and since starting these supplements I have seen an dramatic improvement in my overall health, to the point where I can drive again, leave the house (yippee), do things with my kids, and just cope with the normal strains of daily life. Not to forget to mention my that I now have so much more energy for my constant desire to make and create. I still have to spend some time in bed most days, but I am confident that this will get less and less in the coming years. Gematria's innovative laser enhanced supplements are at the forefront of advanced nutritional supplements (I can certainly vouch for that). Then there is also B12 Vie Patch, which has also made a significant difference in my overall levels of energy and a very useful little patch for anyone struggling with energy levels in general.

All of this has enabled me to take my journey onto the next level and I recently joined a gym so I can start swimming (or splashing as in my case) with an aim to build up some stamina so I can start enjoying some of this lovely countryside that I am surrounded with. Walking is the one thing that still affects me the most, but I am confident that this will improve.

So now to start the reason for my blog, Mindfulness. Despite a bad night (a common problem for people with M.E) where I tossed and turned like a hamburger (as a friend would say), I decided to go to the pool. As I approached the pool, all hope evaporated as I was met by a Aqua Zumba instructor and about 20 woman. The music was blaring and my dream of peace and quiet in a relaxing pool was completely quashed. At first I felt a little grumpy that I had driven all the way to get here for this, but then somehow all the spiritual and mental work that I have done over the last three years kicked in. Yes, I gave into the situation and strangely started to enjoy the moment.

Mindfulness is such a simple concept and yet it is so darn difficult to put in practice. Dealing with the here and now and being in the moment sounds so incredibly simple, but boy is it hard! Another wonderful and inspirational person I worked with during my journey is a lady called +Jan Williams who does a 'Journey to wellness' course, which I would highly recommend to anyone suffering from any M.E related issues. Here is her details: http://www.journey-to-wellness.co.uk/aboutme.htm.
One of the first exercises she gave me was to practice mindfulness whilst brushing my teeth. Now if any of you are anything like me, picking up my toothbrush is usually my cue for doing everything else, like putting washing in the washing basket, tidying the kids rooms and doing whatever else I can possible fit into two minutes. So yes this was a challenge for me at first (and to be honest it still is), but I keep trying to stay in the bathroom and be mindful of everything happening with me, my toothbrush and my teeth for that two minutes, and however daft it may sound it has really helped me with being more mindful with every activity I do, whether it is crocheting, sewing, reading to my kids, crafting, resting, whatever.

I find now that I am more in tune with my body and that the mind-body is working as one, rather than just my head driving my body as before. Here is a list of some of the books and CD's that I have enjoyed throughout my journey so far.

1. Deepak Chopra - Quantum Healing. Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Spirit (A great book that every person in the world should read!).
2. Pema Chodron - When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (another inspirational book useful for everyone).
3. Pema Chodron - Getting Unstuck.
4. Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment.
5. Echart Tolle - Practicing the Power of Now.
6. Jon Kabat-Zin - Mindfulness Meditations Audio CD.
7. Deepak Chopra - theSoulofHealingMeditations a Simple Approach To Growing Younger CD (well worth  purchasing)
8. Mindfulness of breathing managing pain, illness and stress with mindfulness meditation CD
9. Gretchen Brooks Nassar - CFS Call For Soulwork
10. Kirstin Neff - Self Compassion
11. Sam Obitz - BEEN THERE, DONE THAT? DO THIS! (A great little book)
12. James L. Wilson - Adrenal Fatique. The 21st Century Stress Syndrome (another must read!)

Fairies & Tepees

Lots of fairy fun was had yesterday at the loveliest fairy party for Arrabella's 5th Birthday. Most of the girls were all fairyfied and gorgeous, including little Es dressed up as Tinkerbell, offcourse. The party was lovely and my friend made the most amazing toadstools out of meringue's. Not only were they amazing they tasted yum and the good news was that I could eat them as they were dairy, wheat and soy free, not an often occurence at a birthday party (yeah!!!). The toadstool order is firmly placed for Esme's fairy princess party in less than two months. I have had a quick look for a recipe for the toadstools and here goes:

http://theicedqueen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/meringue-toadstools.html

        

Everyone was pooped when they came back, including Josh who joined Dad for his first 5 mile off road bike ride along the Middlewood Way. Pretty good going for a five year old, and apparently he really enjoyed it. So I seized the moment and we started a project that has been lurking on my todo-list for quite some time now, a Tepee (Tipi, Tepe, or whatever you wanna call it). I have been wanting to make one of these for the kids for years, but have always been put off by the enormity of it, especially the sewing bit. You can imagine my excitement when I recently came across this  lovely blog with 'a no sew teepee' tutorial. Here is the link: www.thehandmadehome.net/2013/02/a-no-sew-teepee/ (Always respect the source!).

Well that was it for me, I went to get the wood the next day and started to dig through my stashes of fabric to see what I could use. Then there was the crucial  bit: motivating the hubby (as it requires a small amount of drilling, which offcourse I am perfectly capable of doing myself but there is the risk of treading on that delicate male DIY ego thingy). If your hubby is anywhere as DIY averse as mine, you will know that you need some time to plant the seed and then slowly work him up to it. Actually this time he didn't actually require that much buttering-up, so we got started yesterday, and this is where it all began.




                                        

We used 6 pieces of wood each measuring 2 x 1 inches and 2.4 metres long. Andrew drilled a hole in each about a foot down from one end. We then used some string and weaved it through two at a time, as that worked best for us, until we had all six of them into the position that we wanted. Once we had done all six them we used quite a bit of string to wrap around all six poles so they are firmly joined together. This was a bit fiddly, but we got there in the end. It was definitely easier to do it outside (albeit a bit nippy, not for Andrew in his shorts though!!!).

                                                  


I would definitely recommend doing this somewhere where you have enough space and also where you can be sure that your poles won't move. Because it got chilly we came in and that is where things started to slip (pardon the pun). Once we brought it in, the wood started to slip on the wooden floor and it was difficult to keep in place, which unfortunately did affect that overall shape of the Tepee (BOO!).

This was were the messy part started, I got the hot glue gun plugged in and some fabric ready to rip of cut (whatever you prefer, I did a mix). I then started wrapping some small pieces of fabric around the top and worked my way down.

                                                                                  

The idea of weaving your fabric over and under certainly took me some time to get into the swing of, and I couldn't hack it at first, but I got there about half way down and it does seem to work best, so do give it a try. This means that you end up cutting strips of fabric the width of two poles apart (plus extra for wrapping around each pole) and you hot-glue-wrap them over one pole and hot-glue-wrap them under the next (I hope this makes sense), and so you continue all around the tepee.


                                                



Now, I knew from the beginning that our tepee would require a door as our kids are obsessed with dens and closing them in and we normally have some dramatic melt down when there is too much light and/or the den doesn't close properly. As for THIS tepee, there will be a door, but I have to confess it is work in progress (as I still have to figure it out). I think it will be a simple snip at the very end and see which side will work best for a doorway.

                                                       

Oh no!!! So a couple of strips from the end and my glue sticks run out. So here is another tip - YOU WILL NEED A LOT OF GLUE STICKS!!! I went through about 15 and I reckon I am going to require at least another 5. Maybe I am just super heavy on the glue, but better be prepared!

So more glue is what we need and more glue is what we will get to finish our project and there there is still the door-dilemma as Josh and Es has already told me they need more than one door! When I explained that Tepee's only have one door, they kindly pointed out that theirs was a different kinda Tepee and it sure is (especially if you look too closely)! It certainly has been fun if you discount the hot-gluegun-blisters thrown in for good measure!

Fridays

Fridays are special (and sometime disastrous) 'Mummy and Esme' days, where we mostly try and spend quality time together. For anyone with a three year old going on four you will know that this can sometimes be a day from hell (especially as we are going through a 'I need to control all' phase), but today has been super special. We just pottered, but it was pleasant pottering. We made some princess crowns, one for Es and then offcourse one for the delectable 'Treacle'. Treacle is Esme's special little companion that has been around since birth and it is fair to say that (three bears later) we are even more attached than ever. Offcourse there is the constant fear of loosing the last (oh help us!). Es also had to make her own crown, which I have to say is my fave.

                                                

After some time crafting, we snuggled up onto her bed and read fairy tales for hours. I just love days like this! I think our two furry friends shared the vibe.
   
                                   

To top it all the postie bought me some special stuff today. Yes, I am finally going to venture into the world of crocheting with a hook smaller than a 3. I now have crochet cotton and a 1.25, 1.50, 1.75 and size 2 hooks (ooh exciting!!). After my last attempt to do a crochet edge to a tea towel with crochet cotton and a size 4 hook, I felt it may look much better with thinner cotton, so the proof will be in the pudding.