Chicken and mango kebabs.......

Thought I would try something different for tea tonight....There's only so many times we can have burgers in buns or a picnic tea....I wanted something quick and easy to make and yummy too so I found a recipe for these...

So tonight for tea we have Chicken and mango kebabs served with some rice.....

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

2 large chicken breasts, cubed
1 large mango, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp mango chutney
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
juice 1⁄2 lime

1 - Thread the chicken, mango pieces onto the skewers. Mix the mango chutney, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice together and pour over the kebabs. Marinate for 30 minutes if you have time.

2 - Cook the kebabs under a preheated grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, and basting with the sauce. Serve with extra sweet chilli sauce if liked.

They sound delicious and seems nice and quick to make too....I think I may add some peppers to give it more flavor & taste.....

I'm getting hungry just thinking about these!!

Never wax your hoo ha!!

This is hysterical!....I don't have a clue as to who wrote this, but what a hoot!! It is a long one but it's worth it if you need a smile....

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. 

Read on.........

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids, put them to bed. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: 'Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet and give it a try....

So I headed to the site of my demise...the bathroom. It was one of those 'cold wax' kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off....

No mess, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)

So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ('Cold wax,' yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull.
 

It works!

OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad.
I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me!
I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet.
 

Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted.

I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...must stay conscious. Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe... OK, back to normal.
 

I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair.

I hold up the strip!

There's no hair on it.
 

Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???

Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip...it's not! I touch. I am touching wax.

I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.

Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut!!!!!

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself ....Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!' What can I do to melt the wax?

Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand, into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right???

*WRONG!!!!!!!*

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.

Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub....in scalding hot water.

Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.

So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!

I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter. 'So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!'

There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me.

She wants to know exactly where the wax is located,'Are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?'

She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box.

YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.

While we go through various solutions. I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.

My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving
grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax.

What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care.

'IT WORKS!!

It works !!' I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT! So I recklessly shave it off. 

Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.....

Next week I'm going to try hair color...... 

JUST TO CLARIFY THIS IS NOT ME!! IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME!! I FOUND IT ONLINE & WANTED TO SHARE!!

Are your children ready for school?!

Some parents are starting to think about September and there little one's starting full time school!!....Is your child ready for school? Forget force feeding them phonics, this is about getting your child ready for the social challenges of school. The more prepared they are, the easier they will settle and the more they’ll get out of those early days.

 1. Can they dress themselves?
Imagine the scene. One teacher faced with thirty children and their coats. By the time each child is zipped up and wrapped up, playtime is over. If your child is able to go some way to helping, they may get some fresh air.

If you can see buttons on trousers and skirts becoming a problem during the post PE change, invest in elasticated waistbands. These will also help during any ‘last minute’ toilet visits. Avoid tights in the early days - they can also lead to unnecessary bathroom accidents. With shoes, laces and buckles are a no-no. Stick to Velcro fastenings which your child can do themselves.

2. Are they used to sharing?
Sharing is a difficult lesson for a child to learn, especially if they only start learning it at school. But it’s a vital lesson if you want your child to settle in and make friends easily. No one wants to play with the boy who refuses to take turns and share, and before long that child becomes isolated. Start to make a point of praising your pre-schooler for sharing his bag of figures or his last few sweets.
 

3. Can they use the toilet on their own?
Reception classrooms usually have a toilet nearby but children are expected to use it on their own. That can mean less confident children avoid a visit until it’s too late. Encourage your child to begin taking toilet trips without you to build up their confidence. Remind them that hand washing is part of the ‘visit’. Beginning school toilet training now will mean fewer accidents in September.. 

4. Are they able to eat independently?
Lunchtimes can be a real flashpoint in the early days of your child’s school life. Dinner halls are noisy places and can make a child feel overwhelmed. Make sure they arrive at school able to pick up and use a knife and fork. If they’re opting for a packed lunch, make sure they can open a yoghurt, put a straw in a juice box and unpeel a banana. With school a few months off, it may seem like the easier option to feed them, but it won’t help in the long run. Practice, however painful, makes perfect.
 

5. Are they able to recognise their name?
If your child can recognise their name, they’ll be able to find their peg, identify their drawer in the classroom and find their cardigan if it gets misplaced. Starting school can make even the most confident child feel a little lost. If they can locate important places, it will make them feel more in control.
 

6. Can they use scissors?
Teachers look for this in the early stages of Reception to evaluate dexterity. Get crafty over the next few months.
 

7. Do they understand discipline?
It’s important your child understands what’s expected of them when they arrive at school. They need to know hitting, kicking, biting and hair pulling will not be tolerated. Not only will it bring your child to the attention of the head teacher for all the wrong reasons, but it will make your child unpopular with their classmates. Reputations earned in the early days of school tend to stick and can be hard to shake off.
 

8. Can they communicate with an adult?
Giving your child the skills to communicate with their teacher means they will be able to have some control. How else will they ask to go to the toilet? If they don’t understand how to get the attention of an adult, how will they let their teacher know they don’t understand their work? A child who can communicate will get more out of the school day than a child who is unwilling to speak up. Encourage your child to ask and even practice with a raised hand at home to make sure they understand the most appropriate way of getting a grown ups attention.

9. Are they able to count?
If your child is able to count up to 20, and count back from 10, this will give them a really good head start. Use some of their favourite toys or foods to make counting fun. Lay out 10 grapes and get them to eat them one by one, counting as they go. It will give them confidence and help them see learning as fun. Plus it’s a great way to get one of their 5 a day down them!

10. Can they follow simple instructions?
The school day is full of instructions. Your child will be asked to put coats on pegs, bring packed lunches into classrooms and sit cross legged on the carpet for circle time. If a child is used to following instructions, they will avoid being reprimanded. The more time a teacher dedicates to repeating instructions and encouraging co-operation, the less time there is for teaching. Start giving your child simple tasks – perhaps helping with the weekly shop or with some straight forward jobs around the house. It will prepare them for school life.

New grammar test for 11 year olds...

Next week they are adding a new part to the SATS exams....A 45 minute grammar test and a spelling test of 20 words....

In the next school year Becky will be taking these exams when she's in Year 6 at school she'll be 11 years old...

Pupils will be asked to spot adverbs, nouns, adjectives and pronouns and they will have to spell words that are often misspelt, including "separate", "preferred" and "necessary" All of which I struggle to spell....

Sample questions have been released which you can see HERE!

Or give yourself a quick test by seeing if you can correctly answer these

Q: Circle all the adverbs in the sentence below:

Excitedly, Dan opened the heavy lid. He paused briefly and looked at the treasure.

Q: A prefix is a letter or a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to make a new word. For example: 'unhappy'

Put a prefix at the beginning of each word to make it mean the opposite: __behave __correct __possible

Q: Which ending would make the word 'quick' into an adverb? quickness, quickest, quicker, quickly

Q: Circle the preposition in this sentence: She waited until 10 o'clock.

Q: A pair of commas can be used to separate words or groups of words and to clarify the meaning of a sentence. Insert a pair of commas to clarify each sentence below:

a) My friend who is very fit won the 100-metre race.
b) The man meanwhile picked up his bag and carried on walking.

Q: Insert a colon in the appropriate place in the sentence below:

I have three pets a hamster (called Frankie), a goldfish and a cat.

Q: The sentence below is written in the active voice. The wind blew the sign over. Which sentence is the passive form of the sentence above?

The sign was blown over by the wind.
The wind caused the sign to blow over.
In the wind, the sign blew over.
Because it was windy, the sign blew over.

 

Answers:
1. excitedly; briefly
2. misbehave; incorrect; impossible
3. quickly
4. until
5. a) My friend, who is very fit,won the 100-metre race.
b) The man, meanwhile, picked up his bag and carried on walking.
6. I have three pets: a hamster (called Frankie), a goldfish and a cat.
7. The sign was blown over by the wind.

Well.....How did you do?

 I could answer most of them correctly....The only one I struggled with was the first one....I always get mixed up with  adverbs, nouns, adjectives....lol

I am trying not to stress Becky about the SATS....The teachers put so much pressure on the kids now a days she does not need it from me too...When she takes the tests she'll only be 11....She's still a child!! Becky is a bright girl and I know she'll try her best.... 

Read more about the new tests HERE!!

AERO Bubbles Review!!

We've all tried Aero chocolate....Right?? How about Aero Bubbles??

Here's a bit of a history lesson for you....Did you know....

Aero Bubbles were actally first launched in 2005....They had a duel green and milk chocolate shell with a milk chocolate mint flavour centre...

Then for some strange reason Nestlé changed them to being all milk chocolate, with a milk chocolate shell and milk chocolate mint flavour centre.....

Then in 2008 they changed the centres to being green coloured with a milk chocolate shell.....These are the one's I remember!! 

Now in 2013 they've changed again!!!

We were lucky enough to be sent some AERO Bubbles to try from BzzAgent!!

 

The girls were so excited...Usually I'm sent things to review from BzzAgent which doesn't interest them...coffee, cleaning stuff, beauty products, etc! These they were interested in these!! 

Their distinctively light and bubbly texture, fresh playful flavours and half and half coloured shell will leave you feeling refreshed and uplifted.

They do!! I love all of the Aero chocolate products and these did not dissapoint!! They taste creamy & refreshing...Minty but not too minty!! YUMMY!!

The new Aero Bubbles are available in snack bags in Peppermint flavour and sharing bags in both Peppermint and Orange flavours

 

I was sent Six FREE snack bags of AERO Bubbles this free of charge for being a BzzAgent...This is my honest review....All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

Weekly Meal Plan!! - #mealplanningmonday

 Monday again!! Last weeks meal plan went fine....We did have a sneaky meal out at the pub on Wednesday so we never had the meatloaf which we're definitely having this week!!

 So on the menu this week we have....

Monday - Pork stir fry & noodels with yesterdays left over pork....
Tuesday - Corned beef pie, mash & beans.... 
Wednesday - Meatloaf with Jacket potatoes.... 
Thursday - Something out the freezer with chips...
Friday - Pizza.... 
Saturday - Chicken & Mango Kebabs with rice....
Sunday - Cottage Pie & veg....

As always I've joined in with the wonderful At Home With Mrs M's #mealplanningmonday linky....

 

#Blogging4Madeleine - Six years on!!

Today is Madeleine McCann’s 10th birthday....

Of course you know that in May 2007 aged just three years old Madeleine was taken from an apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal while she was on holiday with her family....Despite extensive high profile campaigns and international searches Madeleine has never been found

All those bithdays without her parents Kate & Gerry McCann and her brother & sister Sean and Amelie.....

I can not begin to imagine what her parents and family have gone through and are still going through....Every day waking up thinking this might be the day they get some news and their beautiful daughter returned to them....

Here is a photo of what Madeleine could look like now....

More information can be found at http://www.findmadeleine.com/

 

Contact information to report any sightings or information...

If you think you have see her or know anything please contact your local police force immediately...AND +44 845 838 4699 or investigation@findmadeleine.com OR Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org