A Matter of Choice

After a few very focused weeks back at Slimming World I fell off the plan in a spectacular fashion this week with a new record of a 4lb in one week! That's a week with no special occasions, holidays or nights out, my largest gain in all my SW years has been 3lb and that was after a two week all inclusive holiday. But, Slimming world works, when you stick to the plan and last week I can't say that I did - 2 days after weigh in and a Valentines evening celebration at home with pizza knocked me sideways and I went off the rails somewhat! Hey ho, after my shock on the scales on Wednesday I've been back on plan.  Superfree, scan bran and lots of water are my weapons this week, and of course my new favourite Slimming World muffins. After the success of my 'Magic Pancakes' I decided to try a variation I'd seen mentioned in a facebook group, they are fab and I've been making them every few days. Slimming World 'Muffins' Makes 24 mini muffins. ...

How many times have you asked a question to be met with 'Google it' as a response? These days we have come to expect information at our fingertips, and it came as a big surprise to me when I first arrived in Cyprus to find that Google was letting me down! I looked for places to go, baby groups to attend, local information, bank holidays, how to register for schools, you name it I looked for it  and for the most part I couldn't find it.  A while ago, due to my frustration I set up the 'East Coast Mum's' facebook group which in the end had over 100 members, I often shared information I saw online that I thought might interest other Mums, everything from local events to scheduled power cuts and enjoyed spreading the word to those who might not have heard, here it's not always that easy to know what's going on! Over the last 4 years things have improved a lot but our little bit of Cyprus seems to have always been sadly neglected! Well, no...

Recently I was asked to contribute to the HiFX Expat page , which offers advice to those looking to move abroad. After contributing to their campaign, I realised that I have lots of useful information which I could offer future expats and my favourite... Let your new country become your home. People always say that 'Home is where the heart is', this has never been truer than when moving abroad, because if you still consider England to be your home, then that is where your heart will be. The day we arrived in Cyprus back in 2009 was the day it became our home, from the moment we stepped off the plane we made the conscious decision not to refer to England as 'home'. I figured that every time I thought of it as home I would feel like I didn't belong here and for me at least I didn't think I would be able to settle well if that was the case. I've met many expats who still refer to England as home even after many years here, they go back 'home...

It appears that I'm not naturally an 'outdoorsy' person, although I do love to go out (assuming it's not too cold, wet or windy!) once you factor the boys into the equation and the stuff you have to take with you, the best time to go avoiding naps to ensure a happier baby, the decision of where to go - can I push a buggy there, will they walk that far, will I have to carry a very heavy toddler,  etc etc, I often come to the conclusion that staying put is far easier. I'm realise that is rubbish, and I often 'waste' the fact I live in the ideal place to be outdoors.  I know that everyone else seems to manage ok with 2 or more kids or various ages and they make it look so easy! This year I WILL get out more. I went from Leo being difficult to heavily pregnant just as he got a little easier to control, then back into buggies and then the very high summer temperatures and then the crawling stage. It's slowly getting easier, now Louka can walk as he hate...

With Facebook celebrating it's 10th anniversary this week and the floods of 'Lookback videos' doing the rounds I can't believe I didn't think of it for my Flashback Friday! Jenny did though and as soon as I saw the title of her blog post I knew I HAD to do the same! I joined Facebook in 2007, the year it seems it became popular according to most of the videos I've watched. I had no idea what it was but I was invited by a friend of mine who I was friends with on Myspace.   (I'd used Myspace for a while and liked it but now I'm now really sure what I used it for!) I remember my first two facebook friends and loved reading their profile and witty status updates. One of them still has their original 'About me' "Owner of lions, fine art, the secret of time travel and an over active imagination" the other was something about tights and custard creams! At first there was not many people I knew on there but gradually they appeared a...

You may have realised, especially if you know me in real life and have been on the receiving end of my often endless emails, texts and phone calls that I like to get people together. Parties, picnics, play dates you name it I've tried to arrange it! Why?  Because it's all about friendship, and when I was asked my best piece of advice for an expat, making friends was my reply. When you decide to live in another country for no apparent reason other than ‘because you can’ there are obviously lots of things to consider but there is one very important thing you need to do, it’s not deciding where to live, getting a job or learning the language although these are very good things to have on your ‘to do list’. The most important thing and my biggest piece of advice is to make friends. When you arrive in an unfamiliar place, in country where you don’t speak the main language, when you don’t know how to make a doctors appointment or how to get your car taxed, when you do...

Just before our household got hit by the winter lurgy last week I took the boys out for a bit of fresh air and we went to have a play in a playground we'd never been to before. Always on the look out for new places to go I'm always excited to see somewhere that looks different when I see my friends in Cyprus put new photos up on facebook and like some mad stalker I often message them to find out where they have discovered! Hotels are a very common place to visit, especially in summer and we have a mental list of those where non-residents are welcome to use the pool.  We do have a communal pool in our appartment complex but it's nice to use hotel pools when meeting up with others, and they all have baby pools which ours lacks.  During the winter most hotels are closed and tend to be forgotten but a couple are still good to use for the playgrounds.   So after finding out where my friend had been after seeing some 'new' playground equipment, the boys and I ...

Since going back to Slimming World at the start of January I've been making an effort to try some new recipes and keep varying my food every day. Although there is an endless choice when it comes to what you 'can' eat with Slimming World, like anything it's all too easy to fall into a habit of eating the same things day in and day out.  I have many SW cookbooks as well as a folder with lots of recipes that I've collected from the magazine over the years, I've actually made very few though! Last week I decided to try a new one out, and I wish I'd made it sooner! Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake was a massive hit with the whole family and possibly one of the best main Slimming World meals I've ever made! You need... For the meatballs - 500g extra lean pork mince 6 finely chopped spring onions Dried herbs ( I used about a teaspoon each of basil and oregano) 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp tomato puree For the sauce - 1 finely chop...

Today I am playing host to Laura, a fellow Cyprus blogger, otherwise known as 'Izzy the Cypriot lizzard' 'Kids Have Fun in Cyprus'  is written by a Mum of three kids, she started blogging due to her love of writing and travelling. They love to find new places to go, long walks, free playgrounds and spending as much time together having fun as they can. She hates to see so many places deserted and uncared for and hopes that the people will try to create more places for the children and bring more creativity and arts for the adults of the future. I'll hand you over... Huge Kids Choices We live in a period were we can make lots of choices regarding how to raise our kids. From the beginning we start programming our children’s life. Choosing a kindergarten, before they are born, then deciding about the school, the language they will study, the sports they will play, the places they will visit and most important the other kids they will see. We are present ev...

'Another sunrise photo?' Yep, another sunrise, another stupidly early morning. I do remember back in England, when Leo was a week or so old so in early June, feeding him in the early hours of the morning and it was just starting to get light and it looked like it would be a nice sunny day. I thought to myself it was lucky it was summer as it would have been so much more depressing in the middle of winter. It's lucky then given how my both my boys are/ have been terrible sleepers and prone to get up VERY early EVERY day that we moved to Cyprus and most of the year I'm greeted by a lovely sunrise each morning. I was also pleased to notice that it didn't feel that chilly when I went out in my dressing gown to get the photo, maybe a hint of spring on the way?

Guess who?? Aaron is always saying how similar the boys look but I struggle to see it, looking at Leo now with his short dark blonde hair it's easy to forget how different he looks now compared to his toddler days. I know the photos are of Leo, but I do wonder if presented with a photo I'd never seen before could I be confused?  If you dressed Louka in one of Leo's old outfits I think I might be! I'm always saying I'm glad I have my blog to look back on at things I've done, but I was quite surprised how little there was about Leo and I in the early days of blogging, what did make me smile though was looking back into the archives for a post written about Leo at the age that Louka is now (15 months) and all I came up with was 'What's the secret to Sleep?'   Some things never change do they! Linking up to Mummy Mishaps - Flashback Friday.

As much as I love the beach and pool you can have too much of a good thing, especially in the height of summer when the temperatures reach 40 plus degrees every day so I am always on the look out for alternative ways to occupy ourselves. There are not a whole lot of options really but one I'd had in mind for a long time is the Thalassa Museum in Agia Napa.  Last year was the first year I thought Leo might appreciate it so back in July my Dad and I took the boys for a look round.Worst way round I thought we'd all appreciate the air conditioning! Leo was really impressed by the model sharks and other sea creatures and enjoyed looking at the main display - a replica of the 'Kyrenia II' a life size exact replica of the ancient vessel of the classical period (400 B.C) There are many glass panels in the floor which he found really interesting and a huge section where a reconstruction of the old shipwreck is displayed underneath.  There is also a documentary shown wh...

Here in Cyprus Epiphany is celebrated on the 6th and it's a big bank holiday so today, January 7th was the first day back to 'normal' after the Christmas and New Year break. Leo woke up refusing to go to school at first but soon got over it when I let him have breakfast in a proper bowl 'like Mummy'  He looked a little shy going in and looked blankly at his teacher when she spoke to him, I understood what she said and helped him out but I guess he's just been used to hearing only English for the last 2 weeks and was confused! It felt strange coming home without him and Aaron went out just after I arrived, leaving Louka and I on our own for the first time in ages. Although it was chilly indoors the sun was shining and it was lovely and warm outside, I hung the washing out, while Louka ran around the balcony and tried to play swing ball with a brush, then we headed inside and I did almost an hour of exercise dancing and cardio boxing on the Wii while Louka d...

When I planned my weeks food yesterday (for the first time ever!) to help with get back on track with Slimming World , I knew there was one place I'd have to go today. Deryneia has a farmers market every Saturday morning, I'd been meaning to go for weeks now but had never got round to it before, always ending up getting a couple of bits at the supermarket while Leo was at school. I chickened out of taking Louka, leaving him at home with Aaron and instead I enlisted Leo as 'my little helper'  Usually one to be a handful whilst shopping he loved our trip to the market, holding my list and reading out what we needed, then finding it on the stalls and choosing the produce.  I gave him the money and he asked the stallholders how much it was and handed it over speaking in Greek to them.  He was given a huge strawberry by one lady so I think that's why he speaks in Greek, he knows they think it's cute and tends to be given things! Maybe it...

It's hard to believe that it was 8 years ago this week that I first walked into my local Slimming World group. I had no idea how it was going to change my life but change it it did (You can read about it all on my Slimming World page if I've not told you it a million times already!) After just over a year I had reached my target weight of 11 stone having lost just over 4 st, and I managed to stay there or thereabouts for well over a year. I was a complete convert, I continued going to my group and it was reasonably easy to stay at target, days on and off plan balanced themselves out and I didn't feel deprived or like I was missing out on anything, in fact it was quite the opposite, for the first time I was wearing heels and skinny jeans and stopping dead in my tracks walking past shop windows as I didn't recognise myself! Then I got pregnant and my initial thoughts of pretty much sticking to the plan throughout the pregnancy soon went flying out the window! O...

365 Project - take a photo a day for a whole year..... DONE! I was unsure whether to commit to taking a photo every day for a year but as I take so many photos I thought it wouldn't be too hard, I was actually more worried about getting round to getting them all up on the blog! Aaron said I'd manage 2 weeks at best which I thought was a bit rubbish and so spurred on by the Queen of 365 - The Boy and Me I decided to give it a go. I've done it (I may have missed one day, I got a bit confused with the numbering somewhere in August but it may just be the numbers rather than a photo missing, I neither know nor care!) and I'd never do it again! From October it started feeling a little like wading through treacle and it seemed so near yet so far till Day 365, to be honest if I wasn't such good friends with TBAM I'd have given up right then but she kept her foot firmly on my backside and I carried on! So, here we go 365 done and dusted and here are the last ...