Greggs Coffee Review

My latest review is on Greggs revamped coffee range with a distinct Kiwiana twist. This is a good middle of the range of coffee for those who don't want to buy the more expensive freezed dried stuff. I'm a freezed dried coffee drinker myself but its nice to have a go at the coffee I remember my mum drinking. Four different flavours here folks so one to suit everybody! Thanks Greggs for the coffee and mug!

B-B

Oh my is it holidays again??

Is this the time I only seem to blog in now? Come back in 3 years when I've finished my degree... Anyway hello bloggy babes. Once again I have been surrounded by 3 to 4 year old children, assignments, classmates, my boy, settling in to my new church and just living week by week in this economy.

It is OCTOBER people! Where did the year go? I've found this year a be of a struggle keeping the fires burning with the LORD, getting motivated to study, parenting on empty and trying to keep my wits about me. I will say that God is good and I am human. In my memory I have a list of scripture that live in my brain and I bring out when I'm feeling low.

This is my spiel, not just a spiel but more of a desperate cry for reconciliation and meaning with God. So here goes:

Thank you LORD that you plans for me are for good not evil, that if I seek you I will be found by You. No weapon formed against me shall proser. I am your child, adopted in to your family, a princess of the Almighty King. I have your favour as a shield. You will never leave me nor forsake me. You who started this good work in me will finished it. I wear your armour, You have cast my sins in to the sea of forgetfulness. You turn all things for good. All things are possible with you. You are my LORD, my God, My King. I love you Jesus.

This is my morsel I need to eat to get through my day sometimes, it should be a staple though really aye. Anywho that is where I have been at.

As for the holidays Ash has been hanging out with Master Paisley Jade today. He's staying over with us tonight.

Would you believe these boys are really in to Doctor Who? Well actually it's no surprise to me. Our boys like technology and science fiction pretty much. At least they have weird parents who understand their interests! (Bit of a geek myself).

Its good to have good mates, they keep you together when you fall apart and laugh at you and with you. I appreciate you my buddies and I appreciate Asher having a good mate like Mykah!

Well perhaps I'll see y'all next holidays when all assignments have been handed in and Christmas presents hopefully bought and hidden.

B xx

Things you do in the holidays.

Ash has this book I got off trademe I think. "Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes". He saw this at his old schools library and wanted a copy. I've been meaning to make things from it. Ash picked it up again and saw this recipe:

So I tottled off to the supermarket to get evaporated milk since I didn't have any. This is how mine turned out.

Then I was wondering what to bake for my little kiddies at the daycare I work for so I decided to make biscuits.

Here's the end result.

My little kidlets enjoyed them. 

And just to end here is an old pic of my mumma and me.

Love you and miss you mum!

B-B

Review Time! Pantene Products!

I love getting products to review! I've reviewed Pantene products before with no overwhelming success. I think since the formula has been changed it doesn't work as nicely on my hair as it used too.

I've tried Pantene Nature Fusion for awhile now to see if my hair needed to get used to it but it hasn't got the lovely feel I was expecting. I'm so sorry P & G. :-(

The conditioner is Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal. They do work together but not to the degree that I thought they would. I do love the fragrance. When my hair is drying it still has a bit of a heavy feel. I don't think I will be intentionally buying these products. So so sorry P & G.

B-B

Woah that was a bit of a break.

Where have I been? I've been lost in a forest of essays, college, work and coffees. That's my life at the mo. The more I learn the more I'm really enjoying early childhood education. My classmates are pretty cool and we had to do group presentations last week. Our group did well.

35 and starting a new career! I must have at least a good 30 years of working in me. I want a house, I want to provide for my son, I want to be a blessing! What better way to do that then working with little people and getting paid to do it!

Anywho also I've got to see my beautiful little niece these last few days. She is such a sweety!

She loves popcorn!

I just had to tape her eating it. Only a love-struck aunty would video tape that kind of thing and think it was cute.....

 Love you my Charlie girl! xx

Anywho bloggy-babes just a quick hi to you all. Maybe in the holidays I'll do a proper post.

B-B

Mums

Just been pondering over motherhood lately. Guess I always am because of my own continual journey. Mums are an amazing type of woman. From the first minute you find out your pregnant to the day you pass from this earth you have been given a new role and not always an easy role to accept.

I remember the day I found out I was pregnant it didn't go exactly as you might think. I wasn't ready.... so not ready. I was a newly wed and my son was created about 3 to 4 weeks after I said 'I do'. So I wasn't ready. I didn't even know what been married was like and being on the pill hadn't been good for my body so I went off it. It only took that small window of time and that was it...

I had a sneaking suspicion something happened that night. A gut instinct you could say. A random thought 'I think we've made a baby...' but then I just forgot about it.

My 25th birthday clocked by both our families came for a dinner. Man I was tired. Sore boobies... It should have been a sign...

...I sat there at Family Planning by myself wondering what to do. They gave me a pregnancy test, I took it. She sat me down and said 'Congratulations your having a baby'... I burst out crying... I wasn't ready... I cried and I think I cried some more. My bosses sent me home. I told my new husband... 3 times... Yeah it was a shock.

I was a mother! This little human had been there waiting to be announced and here he was. I wanted a boy, always had.

But my mind hadn't caught up with my body. Thank God he gives you all those months to get used to the idea because it took ALL those weeks to get my head around it. (Perhaps I'm still getting my head around it!).

Newly Wed/Mother to be. Not the first in the world to have it happen too and certainly not the last but boy did I feel alone. The months ticked by and my boy grew, I loved seeing the scans and each time 'is it a boy'...

Then the time came for him to come in to the world. Oh those little niggles, then bigger cramps, then 'oh no's...' and in my case a lot of moanings for my 'mummy' and I was glad she was there! Here was her baby having a baby! I drained the life out of my mother, she took on the emotion and strain of the event.

I remember the moment Master A came in to this world via ventouse. He took my breathe away, this is the little man I've been growing and waiting for. He's been my constant companion ever since.

When Master A was just over 4 months old I became a solo mum. My life was a bit of a wreck. I felt so broken and raw. If I hadn't had my faith in God I think I would have lost myself in despair. As it was I was just holding on by a thread, but my thread was a well bound God twine. I knew how that little kitten felt hanging on by a thread in that old poster.

Mums... They support, love, grieve, look after, care for, fight for, embrace, correct, growl, chauffeur, clothe, feed, shelter and just BE with us.

My mummy passed away 6 and half years ago now. I miss her all the time, some days more then others. I'm so glad my boy got to spent time with his nanny. She loved and still loves all her grandys so much. I take my mum with me wherever I go. She is the constant companion in my heart and on my shoulder. I can hear her voice and know what advice she'd give me. My dreams bring her in to my life and she is well not sick. She looks good. 

The day I became a mum was the day I began to realize how much she had done for me and all those important values and unspoken ways she had taught me. She brought up 5 children on her own pretty much and I am in awe of how she did it. So when I struggle with my own thoughts around motherhood I remember her and her tenacity, strength and warped sense of humour that got us all through. 

So my hats off to all you mums as we share this journey together.

Its not always a joy (but yes it does have its wonderful moments)  but my goodness we would kill for our kiddies if anything or anyone does something to them. I love my son so much and I thank God that he knew better then I did when bringing us together! I couldn't imagine my life without Master A. 

I am a praying Parent! I can't do it without my LORD.

Arohanui to you all!

Review Be Natural - Manuka Honey and Spice Clusters with flakes

Yay! I got to review (taste test!) another delicious cereal from Be Natural. Manuka Honey and Spice Clusters with flakes! I Like Manuka Honey. I like Spices. What a lovely combo. What I like about this company as I said in my last review is that it's nice to see properly what you are eating and not be chomping away on a heavy muesli.

The spices remind me of childhood and baking! Anyway give this cereal a go if you feel like something different.

B-B

Review 4 - Olay Total Effects 7

Hmmm I love Oil of Olay so I thought this would be a cinch. 

Here are the 7 advantages:

1. Line Minimization: Reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles

2. Nourishing Moisturization: For a radiant, healthy glow

3. Tone Enhancement: Balances color & reduces appearance of age spots

4. Gentle Exfoliation: Smoothes and evens skin texture

5. Pore Refinement: Minimizes the appearance of pores

6. Free Radical Defense: Helps prevent damage to skin’s surface

7. Subtle Lifting: Hydrates for firmer skin appearance

Personally I prefer Oil of Olay to this but only because I find this formula thick. You can tell it has  SPF in it. I don't think I'd buy this because I don't like the thickness on my face. If your out in the sun alot it would make sense to use this.

B-B

Birthday Party and Dairy Free Baking!

This weekend we celebrated my WAY WAY cute nieces birthday! She turned one!

Miss One was born 4 weeks early and has different dietary needs so we had to come up with a dairy free cake option for her.

It was good fun for me to go searching and tweaking recipes.

This is what I came up with

Strawberry Cake (Dairy free cake)

2 Cups Sugar

1 packet Strawberry Jelly

1 Cup Veg Oil (I use canola)

4 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups Flour

21/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 Cup Coconut Milk

1tsp Vanilla

1 Tin of Strawberries

Drain can of strawberries and push through a sieve to pulp it up and add back in to pulp some of the juice. Stand aside. Separate egg whites in to a medium bowl and yolks in to another bowl. 

In the yolk bowl slowly whisk in sugar to blend. Add in packet of jelly, blend in the oil and vanilla and coconut milk. 

In a big bowl triple sift flour and baking powder to airate it. 

In the egg white bowl beat until stiff and peaky.

Add wet ingredients in to the flour, fold together. Finally fold in a quarter of the egg white mix slowly and then quarted mix there after.

Pour in to 2 medium lined and greased tins and bake for 40mins at 180degrees.

Chocolate Cake (Dairy free)

11/4 Cup of Flour

1 Cup of Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 Cup of Strong Coffee

1/2 Coconut Milk

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

Chuck all ingredients in to a bowl and whisk! Easy as! Makes one medium cake. Bake at 180degrees for 35mins.

Royal Frosting (Dairy Free)

1 Cup Icing Sugar

1/4 tsp cream of Tartar

1 Egg White

1/3 Boiling Water

Food Colouring

Flavouring

Mix all ingredients together except boiling water. Then add boiling water and and beat till soft and peaky! For around 6-10mins. Its so fluffy and marshmellowee...

It was a wonderful day with whanau! Love my little Miss One she is so awesome!

B-B

New Year New Direction

My gorgeous boy at Christmas Carols 

This is the photo we used in our Christmas E-Card

Strategically placed chin so you don't see its double and making sure "I" look good in the picture. Hehehe...

Its been awhile since I've done a 'proper' post. I guess the holidays can get quite draining and groundhog day-ish! Asher thankfully has had his mate stay over the night and their playing which is welcome relief for me! As you mumma's with no breaks will understand.

Anyways this year I'm taking a new direction and I start my studies towards becoming an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher. I didn't think I'd be doing this! Just ask my friend Mama Moo.

Its a direction that I think God is cool with me taking as all things have fallen in to place for me and its been great. I said to Him I'm not sure about this LORD and if you want this for me its got to work out and it has. I only just got my Diploma of Counselling early last year after 5 years of hard work. But this comes with a different direction and combination of my talents and gifts. 

I guess I'm always going to want to work with people. I tend to get on with all age groups and its a quality I appreciated in myself. Kids are an amazing breed and more now then ever at their age they need fun and loving people in there lives.

So this is a new year and a new focus! (And I intend on meeting the man of my realistic dreams!). Asher started at a new school September last year and my prayer for him is great friendships with those who can encourage and love him and he can do the same for them. Having a full year with the same peers will be good. Been a parent is hard work and you never a day goes by where you're not thinking about their well-being. I think all you parents so an amazing job!

Anyways God is GOOD and life continues to be an interesting journey. I want to re-ignite my passions and fevour for life and the LORD because its been a flat time of late so here's to changes!

Happy New Year y'all. I look forward to reading about what you guys get up too this year.

B-B

Review Number Toru (3)

Hmmm juice, a nice refreshment option for this time of the year. I had to review the new flavours from Just Juice called "Just Juice Orchard" range that have come out.

What I didn't realize is that they were 3 different flavours because of the packaging... I mustn't have been looking close enough but those litre packs are quite similar!

I tried the Sun Kissed Orange with a friend of mine and we both weren't too keen on the taste. A bit tart but  it did taste like fresh juice but not an overload of pulp. I wouldn't intentionally buy it.

My sister and her family tried the Strawberry and Kiwifruit and really like the taste so that went  down well!

They said the Farm Style Apple tasted more like orange juice with apple. Rather then trying to sell it as an apple juice perhaps give it equal footing with orange. 

Anyway I like the Just Juice Range but these aren't for me.

B-B