Posts by jo

test

03/03/201304/02/2014 by jo

A National Trust Weekend

We’re lucky, we have so many National Trust places a short drive from us, and now the weather is improving decided to get out this weekend and get some fresh air. I checked on my National Trust app to see what was open (top tip – bear in mind what date it is – I forgot so we nearly went to two places that don’t open for 2013 for a few more weeks) – and yesterday went to Morden Hall Park (which is open all year round), and Clandon Park today just outside of Guildford.

Morden Hall Park

As with most National Trust places, there’s a children’s play area, plenty of grounds to walk around and a nice house you can sometimes go into – and of course the cafe serving good coffee and good cake. H was asked her age for the first time today too – you’re charged a membership fee once you’re five – but fortunately at three and a half she’s still a way off that!

Clandon Park with the grotto in the background

The best thing I’ve found about our local National Trust places is that there’s so much to do – and with Easter on the horizon I spotted most places have an Easter Egg hunt on – last year we did the one at Claremont Park Gardens near Esher (and H was particularly happy with her egg) – so keep an eye out for more information!

Funnily enough, after thinking we’d been to Clandon Park before, on getting there nothing looked familiar – I think we must have got there as they were closing when we visited (as Hatchlands Park is just up the road with their amazing bluebell woods – head there around April-May time for some fabulous views) – so we had another great place to discover!

03/03/2013 by jo

Let’s Get Dads Reading To Their Kids Campaign from Booktrust

The UK’s leading reading charity Booktrust launched the ‘Get Dads Reading’ campaign, challenging dads to match mums in reading with their children. Read on for more information… but first, have a watch of an introductory video by James Patterson.

UK dads trail far behind their partners when it comes to reading to their children. A new poll, carried out for Booktrust by Opinium, reveals that just 13% are the main reader with their child, with a quarter of fathers saying that the demand for them to work late means that they do not have time to read together more often.

These findings are a major concern as a father’s involvement in their child’s early reading is proven to boost academic success, leading to improved social and emotional wellbeing. To fight this crisis Booktrust is launching a major campaign to raise awareness of the importance of dads as reading role models for their children.

Further research, commissioned by Booktrust from the Institute of Education, sheds more light on this hidden crisis. A series of in-depth interviews reveals that many fathers see reading as a female domain, and are working in isolation, rather than sharing practices and drawing on the networks available to mothers. When they do read to their children, fathers favour their daughters over their sons, reading to them for longer, and more often.

Booktrust is calling on dads up and down the country to match mums’ efforts in reading with their children. To launch the campaign Booktrust’s patron, HRH, The Duchess of Cornwall and bestselling author James Patterson – 2010 Children’s Choice Book Award Author of the Year and founding partner of the Booktrust’s Children’s Reading Fund in association which his publisher Random House – will this afternoon visit a thriving dads reading group to see how dads and their children benefit from sharing books. At the moment, research shows that at formal literacy events for children, only 10% of the parents attending are dads.

The research carried out for Booktrust by Opinium surveyed 1,016 parents of children aged 0-11 – and also reveals that:

43% of mums read to their child everyday in comparison to just 26% of dads.

The top reasons dads give for not reading with their children more often are:

1. I get home from work too late (26%)
2. I feel too tired (22%)
3. I feel like I read to my child enough (19%)
4. I don’t have enough time (18%)
5. My partner likes to do the reading (12%)

37% of dads claimed to read to their child everyday – but only 19% of mums reported that this was the case.

Commenting on the research, Viv Bird, Booktrust Chief Executive, said:

‘The most crucial thing for dads to understand is that if kids see their dads reading they’re more likely to enjoy it themselves. There is evidence that boys are slipping further behind girls in reading – and this emphasises how important it is that dads are positive role models to their sons as well as their daughters when it comes to reading.’

James Patterson – who started writing for children in 2005 in order to encourage his son to read and has developed his own website, ReadKiddoRead, to help dads find books to read with their children – adds:

‘If we can get children reading and enjoying books, we open up a whole world of possibility to them. I believe that dads have a huge role to play in encouraging their children to read. We need to give fathers the support they need in reading to their children. If I can help dads to understand their role in making books and reading more important in children’s lives, I’ll be a happy man’

As part of the Booktrust campaign dads will have access to a whole range or resources and guidance about how to get the most out of reading with their children. A host of celebrity dads – Booktrust’s ‘Dads Army’ – including James Patterson and Dan Snow will lend their support to the campaign. See www.booktrust.org.uk and #dadsreading.

01/03/201326/03/2018 by jo

Children’s Traffic Club

When I was young we had all manner of great things teaching us about road safety – the Tufty Club and the Green Cross Code man. I’m not sure what happened after that, but now H is an age where road awareness is something that is important, I looked around to see what was on offer.

It was only after H’s last open day at nursery I spotted The Children’s Traffic Club – a fairly easy name to remember (which I promptly forgot), though after googling I found them and duly signed up. Her open day was early February, and her pack arrived today around three weeks later. The club is aimed at 3-4 year olds and it’s free. So, what do you get? An activity book – one page per week plus four sheets of stickers, a certificate to confirm you’re in the club and a DVD with various activities and songs (put to the same tunes as nursery rhymes, so you get ‘this is the way we all hold hands’ or ‘play play play our games’ and so on) – there are sixteen weeks of activities then we’ll be sent the next DVD in the set.

H’s nursery is on a busy road, and we’ve already been practising looking left and right (apart when the really annoying parents park on the dropped kerb right outside the entrance blocking the view up the road, gee thanks), and I think this will complement what it already being taught.

So this isn’t a review, I’ll come back to this in a few weeks but just helping spread the word – it’s a fantastic idea and something more people should know about. Sign up today!

*If you live in London TfL pay for this, so you will receive everything at no cost. Outside of London you will have to pay.

01/03/201317/02/2019 by jo

My Best Mothers’ Day Present

Painshill Park in Cobham are yet again doing their excellent mums-go-free deal (if you take your child) this Mothers’ day, 2013. The information is here – and if the weather is good (which it generally is) then you’ve plenty of grounds to wander around.

If your little one is still in a buggy don’t worry, as it’s generally all accessible – though could be muddy in parts.

We LOVE Painshill (we’ve been the last two years to see Santa there and often do these deals)

There’s plenty of activities to do there too, leading up to the big day – check out the What’s On section of their website.

27/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Review – Running Shoes

I am definitely not a runner. I say this, as this backs up the fact I’m no authority on running shoes – however, I do run daily. Almost every day I’m in a mad dash for the train – and if it’s at home that’s two lots of stairs to get up and down in less than a minute, if I’m at work it’s a run from the bus through Clapham Junction and onto Platform 15.

So the opportunity arose to choose some running shoes to review. So I had a good look at my lifestyle. I do a huge amount of walking – definitely more than running, I love going to National Trust places and I have been known to run occasionally there. Banstead Woods is another place I like to walk around though I fear running in there (it’s hilly and I’m the kind of person who trips over easily) – however, looking at the choice at Sports Shoes.com I went for some which were made for running as well as walking – a good grip but good support too – the description sounded like me!

The shoes arrived quickly and I put them to the test the following day – as ever we were late getting me to the station in the morning, but for the first time ever I didn’t get a shin splint when running for the train – my old trainers were getting past it, but already I can see the importance of paying a good price for some good shoes – especially ones you intend to run in. I’ve found myself running a lot more when I wear them as they’re so comfortable – and when you’re not in pain doing it this is quite important.

Oh, and when you’re forever rushing around like I am, a good pair of running shoes is definitely something worth considering. I found the price reasonable and I’ve already had a lot of use from them.

Another thing I liked on the Sportsshoes.com site was having an explanation about the kind of shoe – I don’t have a clue, but armed with the information there I definitely know I picked the right pair. I feel like once the nights get lighter maybe I’ll give Couch to 5K a go… if Shaun can do it then I can!

Also, the shoes on offer have some great reductions, so it’s definitely worth checking them out!

I was sent a pair of shoes for the purpose of review, all opinions are my own.

27/02/201326/03/2018 by jo

Baby Loves Disco

Way back in 2009 I was pregnant with H. I work for a record label and at the time sat next to our radio department. We had a new single by a popular dance act and they’d put on the single “because we want your baby to like dance music” (so kind!). It worked too – every time that bassline kicked in H would start kicking and moving around. Maybe she was born to dance? (the songs were ‘Raindrops’ by Basement Jaxx and ‘Talk to Me’ by Peaches – not the most video-friendly to show your child though)

While I was on maternity leave the first Baby Loves Disco CD compilation came out which I was sent – and oh yes indeed – it has all the disco classics – and seeing H these days and how she’ll pick up on any music and start dancing, I guess music was always going to be a big part of her life. Baby Loves Disco has grown too; starting in the US and now they’re holding monthly events in London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. We’ve not been yet but fully intend to; last month Little Bird did a tickets deal so keep an eye out!

Actually, I thought the price for tickets was quite high, but looking at what you get for your kids, this is a pretty good deal – facepainting, a chill-out zone with play tents, inflatables, instruments and toys, a full spread of healthy snacks and juiceboxes, bubble machines, baskets of scarves and egg shakers, arts and crafts or other quiet activities, balloons, dancefloor games and competitions with giveaways and prizes and most importantly, everything for the little ones is included in the entry price.

Most importantly of all, there’s a cash bar for mum and dad should you choose to have a shandy or two.

LONDON

Sway
61 Great Queen Street
Covent Garden
London WC2B 5BZ
The LAST SATURDAY of every month* 1pm-4pm
(*excluding local easter/summer/xmas school holidays)

Four different rooms of toddler-friendly disco delights await at SWAY… experience the ultimate child-pleasing ‘Saturday Night Fever’ style flashing dancefloor in Groovy Wonderland, or head for the sophisticated and elegant Crystal Bar to enjoy a more relaxed soundtrack.

EDINBURGH
Electric Circus
36 Market Street, EH1 1DF
The LAST SUNDAY of every month* 2pm-5pm
(*excluding local easter/summer/xmas school holidays)

In addition to the main club at Electric Circus, the neon corridor opens up a pandoras box and room after room of toddler-friendly disco delights await… head for the Lizard Lounge to enjoy a more relaxed soundtrack from the comfort of the leather sofas while the little ones play, or sing your hearts out in one of the venue’s swanky private karaoke booths.

GLASGOW
Mansion House
20 Glassford Street
Glasgow G1 1UL
The FIRST SUNDAY of every month* 2pm-5pm
(*excluding local easter/summer/xmas school holidays)

2 different rooms of toddler-friendly disco delights await at Mansion House… experience the ultimate child-pleasing ‘Saturday Night Fever’ style flashing dancefloor in Groovy Wonderland, or head for the oriental oasis of the Kanaloa Bar to enjoy a more relaxed soundtrack.

Each month has a different theme in all venues:

2013

Jan – Onesie Party
Feb – Carnival Time
Mar – Onesie Party
Apr – Pyjama Party
May – Tropical Beach Party
Jun – 80s Neon

I know we’ll definitely make it to one of these – keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more information!

26/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Treat Mum to a Special Day Out with the National Trust

We may have been celebrating Mothers’ Day since the 1600s with chocolates and flowers, but this year why not give mum what she really wants – some precious family time together at a special place.

Discover somewhere new and create memories that mums won’t forget in a hurry. With a 1930s beauty parlour, strolling musicians and horse and carriage rides, show mum just how special she is on a day out with the National Trust.

Here are a few Mothers’ Day top spots for inspiration:

Basildon Park, Berkshire

Basildon Park is an impressive Georgian mansion, surrounded by glorious parkland, which was lovingly rescued from ruin by Lord and Lady Iliffe in the mid 1950s. The house you see today is a re-creation and restoration of the 18th-century mansion. They restored the elegant interior and scoured the country salvaging 18th-century architectural fixtures and fittings. Mums will love the cream teas and the nostalgia of the 1950s kitchen. For outdoor mums, enjoy the lawn games, the hazel hideout or a walk on one of the waymarked trails through the 400 acres of historic parkland.

Mothers’ Day crafts, 10 March, 11am-4pm

Visit Basildon Park this Mother’s day and let the children join in with “Pottering About’ and make their mums a special plate personalised with their handprint.

Normal admission charges apply; item charge will vary, prices start from £10.

Booking is not required for this event. For more information, please call 0118 984 3040.

Mothers’ Day tea, 10 March, 3-4:30pm

Why not also treat mu to something special this Mother’s Day by inviting her to enjoy delicious afternoon tea which includes a glass of sparkling wine, a selection of homemade sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and some of Basildon’s delicious cake.

£25 per person.

Booking is essential for this event, please call 0844 249 1895.

Blickling Estate, Norfolk

Blickling Hall is a quirky-looking building and has a sumptuous collection of Dutch gables and turrets, striking brick chimneys and huge yew hedges. Embark on a voyage of discovery and follow four centuries of history, from the Boleyn family to the RAF and Second World War. Learn what life was like as a servant and hear the voices of the people who kept Blickling in ship-shape. For outdoor mums, the gardens at Blickling look beautiful in spring. Discover the secret garden with the sundial or find the hidden pyramid, a tomb built for one of Blickling’s owners. Spot local wildlife, including woodpeckers, herons and owls and really make a day of it and hire a bike.

Mothers’ Day tea, 10 March, 3pm-4.30pm

Gather the family and come to Blickling Estate for a delicious afternoon tea served in the beautiful surroundings of Lord Lothian’s Study.

£17.95 per person.

Booking is essential for this event, please call 0844 249 1895 (booking fee applies)

Brownsea Island, Dorset

Take the ferry across to this adventure island in Poole Harbour, famous for being an unspoilt, natural haven with a colourful history. Brownsea was the perfect haunt for smugglers, who used to hide their booty of silks and spices in the castle there. From towering trees and shell shores, to the smugglers’ tales and scenes right out of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five novels, the whole family will feel like they are on quest of discovery. The island is one of the last places to have red squirrels as well as many different kinds of seabirds, which can be spotted on the lagoon from the hideaway. There are many walks, some suitable for even the youngest would-be smuggler, and the island is car free so every inch of it can be explored without mum having to worry on her special day.

Say thank you on Mothers’ Day, 10 March, 10am-4pm

Visit the events marquee and join in with children’s crafts, before heading to the Villano cafe and treating mum to a delicious cream tea.

Normal admission charges apply; there are no additional event charges.

Booking is not required for this event.

For more information, please call 01202 707744.

Make a weekend of it: Stay on the island in Agent’s House, a beautiful waterside house just 3m from the water’s edge. Sleeping six and overlooking the lagoon with stunning sea views it’s perfect for family get-togethers.

Castle Ward, Co. Down

Castle Ward demesne with its panoramic views over Strangford Lough is the National Trust’s best kept secret. With miles of walking and cycling trails, Castle Ward will take you on a journey of discovery through the 820 acre demesne.

Mother’s Day spring stroll and musical melodies, 10 March

Walks: 11am-12.15pm and 3pm-4.15pm. Music: 1pm-3.30pm

Enjoy a stroll around Castle Ward led by a knowledgeable guide through the exotic Victorian sunken garden and around this stunning demesne. Then relax in the stableyard to the sounds of Vivaldi and other classical works.

Normal admission charges to the gardens apply.

Booking is not required for this event.

Afternoon tea in Lord Bangor’s sitting room, 10 March, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm

Treat mum and friends to a delightful cream tea in Lord Bangor’s private quarters within Castle Ward mansion and then enjoy a guided tour.

Adult £9. plus normal admission charges to the grounds.

Booking is essential for this event, please call 028 4488 1204

Nostell Priory and Parkland, West Yorkshire

Nostell Priory has been the home of the Winn family for more than 300 years, making it a perfect place for a family day out on Mothers’ Day. Explore 300 acres of parkland with a range of walks, beautiful gardens, a newly planted orchard and an adventure playground to keep the kids entertained. Inside the house, see a collection of Chippendale furniture made especially for Nostell, as well as paintings by Brueghel, Hogarth and Kauffmann. The restored butler’s pantry is also now open and children can look out for the mouse in the 18th-century dolls’ house. To round off the day, visit the new stables area, with its new shop and plant sales area as well as the courtyard café for seasonal treats.

Plas Newydd, Anglesey

The stunning ivy-clad house has it all: breathtaking views stretch across the Menai Strait to Snowdonia on the mainland; the military museum contains exhibits from the battle of Waterloo in 1815, and many paintings by the world-famous Rex Whistler hang here, including his renowned largest painting. Mums will lovely the spring gardens, especially the catkin gardens, and the treehouse, newly built to remember Lady Amelia’s 1960s treehouse, will keep the children entertained. The charming tea room cooks up tasty treats.

Sizergh Castle & Garden, Cumbria

Still lived in by the Strickland family, Sizergh has many tales to tell and certainly feels lived in, with centuries-old portraits and fine furniture sitting alongside modern family photographs. Outside, explore the rock garden and then head out across the estate on a walk with fabulous views to the Lakeland fells and Morecambe Bay. For adventurous mums, try looking for geocaches on the estate or the whole family can have a go at den building in the wooded knoll.

Tyntesfield, Somerset

Lived in by four generations of the Gibbs family, this beautiful Victorian estate still has a family feel and is just a stone’s throw away from Bristol. Spiralling turrets and pinnacles adorn the roof, ornate stone carvings and church-like windows complete the Gothic look, giving the feel of a mysterious, fairytale mansion full of family treasures. Families can find the ‘discovery tables’ and handle real objects from the Tyntesfield collection or rummage through family explorer boxes and learn more about life at Tyntesfield. Outside, terraced lawns give way to spacious parkland filled with hundreds of trees collected by the family, and a beautiful walled kitchen garden beyond. Pick up a copy of the play trail leaflet and follow in the footsteps of the estate’s children – discovering the dens in the plantation wood

Music for mum, 9-10 March, 11.30am-3.30pm

Tyntesfield will be host to strolling musicians in the formal gardens for Mothering Sunday weekend. Bring the family and a picnic or just sit and enjoy the music together.

Normal admission charges to the gardens apply.

Booking is not required for this event. For more information, please call 01275 461 900.

Make a weekend of it: Stay at the heart of Tyntesfield in the former Chaplain’s House, built in the 1840s it’s crammed with original features and Victorian touches. Perfect for larger families there’s an interconnecting door between the House and the Lodge next door allowing up to eleven people to stay.

Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire

Surrounded by internationally important art and porcelain collections, hear and discover more about family life and soak up the atmosphere of the 1930s. Pick up family activity packs and enjoy dressing up and the play spaces this Mothers’ Day.

The stunning gardens – being returned to their 1930s heyday – have a sweeping lawn that gives way to a series of terraces and herbaceous borders leading to a kitchen garden, tranquil water garden and spring bulb displays.

Don’t miss

1930s beauty parlour, 9-10 March, 1pm – 4pm

Take mum to Upton this Mother’s day, for special 1930s beauty, fashion, make-up, hair tips and demonstrations. Join the crafts table and create mum a gift she can wear on her days out to Upton.

Normal admission charges apply.

Booking is not required for this event. For more information, please call 01295 670266.

Make a weekend of it: Keep things strictly in the jazz-age at 1 Home Farm Drive, with art deco features throughout this spacious cottage is the perfect getaway for a vintage loving mum and her family, sleeps five.

Winkworth Arboretum, Surrey

Bursting with colour and life, Winkworth is perfect for a Mothers’ day walk. Spring is one of the best times to visit this beautiful hillside arboretum, with early signs of magnolias and azaleas, not to mention more than 1,000 different types of shrubs and trees. For peace and tranquillity, visit the beautiful lake and boathouse, with stunning views and lots of wildlife-spotting opportunities. After all that fresh air and exercise, treat mum to the wholesome range of home-baked food in the tea-room, including delicious cakes.

Mothering Sunday at Winkworth, 10 March, 10am-5.30pm

Visit Winkworth for Mothering Sunday and treat Mum to a delightful horse and carriage ride or a simple stroll through the arboretum and see the early spring flowers in bloom. The tea room will then be open for light lunches and afternoon teas. Normal admission charges apply; mothers get in free to the arboretum when accompanied by their children.

Please note carriage rides will be available from mid day.

Booking is not required for this event. For more information, please call 01483 208936.

Make a weekend of it: Emley Farmhouse has is a large Grade II listed building in an idyllic rural setting, perfect for those looking for a spacious getaway in a traditional house.

25/02/201301/01/2019 by jo

Review and Giveaway – iPic – magnetic photo frames

As a parent I take a lot of photos. H is pulling a particularly cute face? Obviously I’ve got to take a pic. She’s just smeared chocolate all over herself unintentionally? Hilarious! I must take a photo… and more often than not they’re made into photo books in time, though every now and then I have one of those rare moments when the photo taken is actually really quite good.

I’m a huge fan of putting nice photos on display – we’ve some lovely photos of holidays, scenery and so on, and of course there’s the family photos. The opportunity came to try out iPic and I knew which photo I wanted to use – a gorgeous one of Shaun and H taken in the cafe next to Conwy Castle back in August last year. They were just chatting and it was one of those photos that ‘happened’ – not posed and neither of them are aware they’ve had their photo taken – it’s easily my favourite one from last year. So it was a no-brainer – this photo was the one!

iPic is easy to use too – choose your frame (you can create your own too), upload your photo, drag it to position it (Shaun wanted a person blurred out in the background removing so we zoomed the photo) and that’s it! You’ve also an option to personalise your it. It’s A5 sized, and fits a 6″ x 4″ photo.

I like that the photo is mounted onto glass so it’s nice and sturdy. The frame is plastic and feels quite tough, and before you write it off and think that may be cheap, the frame also has some strong magnets at the back – so you can put the frame on your fridge should you choose (so let’s face it, if the frame was pricey there’s every chance it might break if it was pulled off the fridge) – there’s also a stand included; a pole type thing which inserts into the back of the frame – which I completely missed, but it’s part of the packaging the frame comes in and it does the trick.

Actually, what impressed me most of all was the fact I placed an order on Friday night, and by Monday lunchtime the package was with me – now that is what I call good service.

You can find iPic on Facebook, Twitter, http://www.ipic-uk.com

I have a code to give away – so you can give iPic a go too – simply fill out the Rafflecopter entry form and keep your fingers crossed! The giveaway finishes on the 11th March 2013. A promo code will be supplied for you to make your own creation.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We were provided with a code to make our creation, all opinions are honest and our own

24/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Blurb Photobook Review – Part One

I was given an opportunity to make a Blurb photobook. This appealed as I know Blurb are used by a lot of people who want to self-publish their books, so I know you can order the books worldwide – which is something that appeals having family in Australia and in York. I love photobooks too, they’re taking the best photos of a time and putting them somewhere to make a lasting memory – somewhere that isn’t just a photo album.

Choosing the photos took a ridiculously long time – but I got there in the end, and saved them all into a new album in iPhoto to use with the Blurb Booksmart app on my MacBook Pro.

The app was easy to download, but getting it to look at the album became tricky – in the end I gave up and dragged the album onto the desktop which worked immediately. Then it was just a case of dragging the correct photo onto the page – where I was immediately told if it was too small to print. Each page has guidelines so you know where it’s going to print to (so you can avoid key bits getting cropped), as well as allowing you to drag or zoom the picture to where you want it to be.

Adding pages was easy too, and in the end I made a 50 page booklet with one photo on each page, which I’m really happy with.

I opted for a soft cover with one of my favourite photos of H in a Standard Landscape 25×20 cm with 126 pages Standard Paper; and already I can see a mistake I’ve made – I cut H off a picture!

I’ve set this up with a preview of the first 15 pages, but it gives you an idea of what you can do with Blurb. I’ve edited it, though I suspect it’ll be too late for my order.

Anyway, I’m now waiting for my order… the process making it was straightforward and made sense – the longest part was me choosing which photos to use!

I was provided with a discount code to place an order, all opinions are honest.

24/02/201302/02/2014 by jo

Weight Watchers Week 7 & 8 Challenge

Yet again I’m lagging behind in my posts. I have two challenges to write about, firstly week 7 is Shop Smart. Week 8 is Out To Lunch. The two do fit perfectly with us, so hopefully this won’t be too long!

As far as the weekly shop goes, working four days a week and having busy time when not working means I have very little time to shop. Today we ended up in Asda, all of us wondering why we were there on our day off – as generally I’ll do my weekly shop at Ocado and get it delivered on a Tuesday using their weekday pass deal. Ocado also do good multibuys and stock Weight Watchers food. Generally I’ll buy a few WW bits – although I’ve found quite often you can go to Poundland and get them there too; so do my shop at the weekend and head to Poundland on the Monday lunchtime, removing anything I’m able to pick up there from my Ocado order.

The Weight Watchers foods we buy are the bread ones – we make our own bread in the breadmaker but keep a supply of bagels, wraps and naan breads in to have with soup. I also get the yoghurts (as they’re 1 point) and often on multibuys. Other than that I stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as passata, spice, quorn or tofu, and that’s pretty much it. Our weekly shop varies from £45 to £60, which is a LOT less than I’d spend if I went into a supermarket.

Eating out is another one I don’t stress too much about. Generally we eat at pizza places, where there’s plenty of choice especially with low-calorie options. I try to go for restaurants that have free WiFi so I can check for deals, but also check the points of what I’m eating. I refuse to deny myself food (as that’s what makes me stop being good if I’m denied something) but I’ll make sure I don’t eat a lot of the foods which are higher points. It seems to work for me, and having the app handy to check is good too, though I have found often they’re not in the system though can be found when you google them.

As far as at work goes, I’m a creature of habit. I’ll buy the same foods every day – I know the points and I’m happy with them. If I fancy a change I’ll head to M&S or Waitrose for their pricier options, but generally I’ll have a Sainsburys Be Good To Yourself Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich (7 points) and some vegetable sushi (4 points) for my afternoon snack. This comes in at £2 and is already cheaper than their meal deal! In the morning I’ll have a banana to snack on. If I go to the pub over the road for lunch I’ll still have some chips – these come in around 5 points, so I’ll make sure I don’t have the sushi so I don’t go over too much – and if I know in the morning I’m having lunch out then I’m more likely to walk from Clapham Junction to my work which is around a mile, so I’ve a few points stored up too.

The most important thing for me is knowing how many calories things are, and I’m noticing more places are now displaying it – just divide the total number by 40 and voila!

If you’re lucky then the points may even be on your sandwich; M&S and Sainsburys both do it if like me you can’t even think straight at that time of day!

I’ve been provided with six months of Weight Watchers membership – all opinions are my own. I’ve lost a stone and a half and am now a regular weight again due to my own work with Weight Watchers.

Mum Friendly

the things we do, the things we like

Author / jo