Coffee by Numbers No More!!

Hello, Welcome. My name is Julie and I am a Coffee Addict.

There, I said it. It’s true. I have no idea how this addiction started but I have a feeling long shifts in hotels may have contributed a need, my OCD’s may have contributed to my obsession.

The coffee in my life filters through at certain levels, as a household we easily get through 200g/300g of instant coffee per month, it’s a quick fix for a Mum on the run and my husband takes a flask to work, this is the only coffee he drinks as when at home, he’s a tea man. When I’m out and have the chance to go to a coffee shop I have different favourites depending on the shop, in that green and white shop I have a Large Latte with an extra shot and ground nutmeg, in the red shop I usually stick to just a latte, I’ve always thought the red shop has better tasting coffee and they don’t provide nutmeg. Anywhere selling ground or filtered coffee I have it black (unless I’m very tired then milk is allowed but on no account insult me with your little tubs of UHT crap, I may choose to leave, go elsewhere and never return!)

At home, with the time to savour it or whilst writing I have a one cup cafetiere just for me (I have a 8 cup one too but cold coffee sucks!) I have rules on making it… The water in the kettle must be fresh, it gets left to cool for at least a minute before pouring it on the coffee, (burnt coffee beans suck too!) it then gets stirred and left to brew for a few minutes before I push the plunger down. Then I drink it black, no sugar, why ruin good coffee

It sounds like a palava but it’s not, it’s worth it and as I learned to make coffee at a very very expensive hotel I’ve always considered this is the best way. I am a coffee addict and a self confessed coffee snob.

But then things get hazy, sadly I’ve always picked my coffee by numbers. It seems sad to confess this as I’d like to think I’m a bit more educated in my snobbery but I’m not, I can’t tell you where the coffee I like comes from or even how it tastes different to other regions, nope, it’s a 3 or above.

Recently the coffee company KOPI asked me to try their product and after the “Hell Yes!” *high fives the air, shirt over my head bum wriggle* I waited under the letterbox for 2 days until my parcel arrived. It woke me up as it hit me on the head, enough to put the kettle on.

The first thing that struck me as I opened the box was the size of the packet, 250g what lovely generous people they are.  The second was the amusing way the literature was written, are coffee drinkers a type? Are we all mildly sarcastic with witty undertones that can only be deciphered by like minded caffeine addicts? Whatever, this pleased me no end. The third thing was how fabulous the coffee was. It would have been the first I’m sure but you know, coffee takes time to make. The fourth thing was I now knew all about Guatamala Finca Santa Clara Genuine Antigua (which is a No. 3 btw) a classic day-long diva, because Kopi have educated me with their brilliant idea of sending you a different coffee per month with a leaflet which tells you how to make it and enjoy it and all about it! Bravo Kopi!

*Puts kettle on again*

In this day and age of trying to make sure the small people know that carrots don’t manifest themselves onto the supermarket shelf, it’s good for me to have a equal interest in where my preferred products come from, and this richly refreshing coffee is really very easy to drink and greatly preferable to the instant rubbish I normally resort to in times of rush rush, I have in the four days since I’ve been sampling it, found myself returning to the fridge to get ‘the real thing’ rather than the cupboard for the chemical muck.

As I browsed the Kopi website I wondered, as the only real coffee drinker in the house, if I could actually get through a whole 250g in a month, as my inclination now is to reach for the cafetiere in the morning that seems no longer to be an issue. The only real question I am left with is can I genuinely justify spending this money on something for me? Times are hard and I’m the one who cuts back first. Unusually, I find myself wavering… We mothers so rarely put own own enjoyment of products first, that I think, perhaps I might give Kopi a bash and see how I go, after all, I love coffee and I am being educated, can’t be bad eh!

Being a Mum is Challenging in so many ways…

I am once again a ‘new Mum’. I have been a Mum for 5 years and it’s all a bit of a scary learning curvy thingy to be honest. This latest mountainous step I face is the ‘interactive helpful’ bit…

So far I’m not much help at all, I can’t do the stop and drop scheme outside school in the mornings or the wellie walks because I have a little man to deal with too… That’s okay, I’ve mentally made a note for doing both next year as long as the Little Man gets the same school.

Slowly, I’m mastering the intricacies of ‘the book bag’ it involves various books and notes, my email is getting hit with a fair few emails telling me what to do and how things work. I attended a learning to read night and am now aware of the arm waving, sounding, acting out ways of phonics (although it’s no less frightening).

We successfully negotiated the birthday, I’d have loved to have all 20 new friends to her party in our small house, running around, making noise – okay I’m lying about that but I would have liked to managed something for all of them… Expensive birthdays eh!

Today I went along to the ‘Friends’ meeting in the hope that I might be useful with fund raising in some way, it was a long shot, I have come away feeling a little forlorn. What can I do to help exactly? Since childbirth I have the organisation skills of a goldfish, we have Koi in the garden with more brains than I can currently claim work. I can’t bake a cake to pass muster, I should pay people to eat my cooking.  I don’t really craft stuff, so making things to flog at sales is kind of out of the question… and if someone says “We need some good new ideas to raise money” My head goes blank and I’m sure I gain an unattractive vacant expression…

I’m sure they will find a use for me, I do a mean clock room attendant and can serve tea and coffee with panache! Perhaps my roll can be to fulfil some non strenuous, non thinking donkey work… Nothing too much as I am getting old you know After getting stuck on the decking the other night because my knees wouldn’t take my weight to lower myself down I have to be careful! (Yes, I was scrumping apples of the neighbours tree so it was come-upance)

I’d really like to be one of those Mum’s, you know, the serene type that never gets flustered, perfectly turned out with beautifully behaved children. But, I’m not… I’m the one who shouts loudly (though they do ask how high when I yell jump!) who’s kids have breakfast or toothpaste around their mouths or down their fronts, who’s own clothing doesn’t match or is on wonky. I’m the one who’s hair is wet from rushing through the shower at the last minute and never wears make up… Though I often throw on heels as they are closer to the door, they are not very suitable for the school run…

Luckily, my kids disagree with my imagined inadequacies… I get told “You are the bestest cook in the whole wide world!” or the best Mummy or the Most beautiful Mummy etc, always in the whole wide world…

That in itself is pretty hard to live up to!

The New Girl…

I’d forgotten this feeling.

The loitering at the back of the crowd trying to be unnoticed feeling because you are the new girl, the nervously making conversation with other nervous looking newbies too…

I never liked it much and I’m pleased that it will probably not last long.

Last Friday, standing on a small patch of grass outside school waiting for collection time I heard one of the other Mum’s say “Well this is me for the next 11 years!” and my heart did a flip! It’s eight years for me, the little man starts school next September. Blige I thought, she’s right.

Quite a few of the Mum’s already know each other well, they are scattered through the villages around the school and have children the same age – obviously. They seem a happy bunch and very pleasant to chat too although I do feel like an invading ‘Townie’ I guess by large that is because I am.

The Dad’s loiter at the back too looking rather shifty and uncomfortable, so it’s not a bad place to be

So we are cutting ourselves a little routine these two weeks of half days, flying out of the door at the last minute as ever, although the last minute is half an hour earlier then we needed to leave last year.  We park up on a handy verge somewhere and either play car roulette in the tiny country lane with the other parents as they arrive to drop off or charge down the cutest little ‘no vehicles allowed’ lane to the school where we bustle ourselves into the cloakroom and get the Little Lady settled at a table then my little chap and I charge off at full throatle to get him to nursery back in town. It’s all go you know!

And so this is the latest stage of my ever changing life, my role as Mummy the taxi driver has begun…

…but what about her? I can hear you asking… Well she loves it, adores her teacher, got a sticker today for “Being Good, Sitting Nicely and making the classroom Tip Top Tidy.”

No worries.

Summer Diary W2 D2

A slower start today *sighs with relief* the Little Man slept in until 7am!

We had arranged to meet a friend and her smalls in the park and so set about bundling our needs into a blue ikea bag, I did think twice about taking the wave boards but the Little Lady was insistent, I do a fairly good impression of a pack horse it has to be said.

After a mad couple of hours splashing around and a game of spot our friends in the supermarket, during which the Little Lady convinced me we needed to have a BBQ this evening, sausages were chosen (the ones Daddy likes) and finger buns, I managed to convince the Little Man we already had plenty of Ketchup, we got home in time for lunch.

Once home they did some ‘quiet drawing’…

and had lunch.

and then Mummy got brave and allowed finger painting!

A quick trip to the shops with Dad to buy coals gave me a breathing space, they came home with a new game of Connect 4, we found this in a pub recently and the smalls adored it.

The BBQ was lovely, the smalls love ‘sausage ina bun’ with the last of the home grown potatoes in a potato salad, the Little Lady diligently cut some chives for it from the pot in the garden and then snipped them like Katy does with Mummy’s big scissors.

So another day successfully negotiated, I find myself sitting quietly this evening as the OH has crashed out asleep, feeling quite calm. It’s been a good day.

Cybermummy 2011 Meet and Greet

Name: Julie

Blog: Allaboutus and such like

Twitter ID: @kailexness

Height: 5ft 7

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Greenish

Likes: Snow! Skiing, reading, dancing like no one is watching, vinegar, spa’s, twitter, my family, wine and writing.

Dislikes:  People parking in the mother and toddler spot with no children. Rudeness,

Carly at Mummy Shoes is doing a linky for attendees to get to know one and other, go see!

The Gallery; My Blog

Ooooo Hard Tara! Hard…

Mostly because even a year in I’m not really that sure what this is Allabout, us, certainly, but I often joke it’s allaboutme me me!

So I stole an idea from tumblr….

Yeah… they had pictures hanging on a pretty tree in a wood somewhere but the fact that this is taken in our conservatory is fairly typical of my blog too…

It took me a while to get the balance right which tickled me pink because I’m still trying to get the balance right of all this mishmash they call life, which is one of the main reasons I blog, to get the thoughts out of my cotton wool infested brain.

This weeks theme Tara is a stroke of genius – Thanks xx

Click on the cup to go too Tara’s blog, Sticky Fingers – to see the other entries

Daffodils..

 

My delightfully angelic children just presented me with these two little hand made and painted pots, the Little Man proudly told me “I choose a blue bow for you Mummy” *melts* and my daughter said “They don’t smell very nice!

They have both made cards, decorated with flowers and butterflies which were presented to me with huge grins and twinkling eyes and proclamations of “You are the best Mummy in the whole wide world!” A title for which I always feel most unworthy.

And I just thought to myself.. y’know Julie, just blog that, because it’s moments like that which make being a mother the best experience ‘in the whole wide world!’

Happy Mothers Day for Sunday xx

 

 

I Heart Me : Making Today Easier…

Biting the Bullet of my current inability to write anything of anything I’m carrying on regardless with

Where ‘notes’ asked us this week

Week #7 question:

What could you do today to make your life easier?

Today is a Monday – you noticed! Well done Normally on Monday’s I have 3 hours of unadulterated #metime whilst both smalls are at nursery. The past 3 Monday’s Daddy has been home and as much as I like that I miss my #me. Today it is school holidays in this little corner of England so once again no #metime, thinking about what I could do today to make my life easier made me think ahead a little… Something I rarely do in my mad slapdash approach to my life.

My small people wake early, the little lady will be awake from 5 something most mornings and this morning it was 5.15am. Last night I planted the seed in her mind, get up and turn the TV on and it will be on the right channel… she did (and then woke me up because she wanted a Barbie film.. but hey, it’s a start!) Then I had some activities loosely planned, the little man was ill over the weekend so we are having a stay at home day.  So after Barbie they had a bath, they love that and usually stay in as long as possible, then we played Wii Just Dance which had me in fits of muffled laughter, toddlers are just like cats when you laugh at them.  After lunch we are doing beading and then the cars and trains will be out… Which takes us to dinner which I have planned instead of the “wonder what is in the freezer” mayhem that usually ensues.

So far so good I have to say, I’m already thinking what I might be able to plan for tomorrow, if the day is brighter I think some fresh air might be in order – garden tidy up or duck feeding.

and perhaps I might consider doing this planning thing again!

I think it’s unlikely, hopeless case *chuckles*.

 

I Heart Me Monday – Oh Wondrously Ridiculous?

See, see! This! This is why I join in with I ♥ Me,

This week Notes has asked us to and I quote “Tell us something wonderful about yourself”.

Look, I know what you are thinking, “oh my, here we go, she’s going to big up how bloody marvelous she is at loads of stuff and” *yawn* “lets not bother reading…..” But stop and think for a minute, if you are a regular visitor here you will know that my usual approach in talking about myself (which I have to admit does happen fairly often) is to poke fun at me.  I’m quite happy to set myself up as the idiot and have a good chortle because apart from often finding myself faintly ridiculous in my haphazard approach to  my life, I live to laugh and laughter is often my first response..

In mirth, in defense, in social situations, in business situations, with the smalls and adults alike.  On Twitter, in person, in my writing, in my approach to life and to counteract the depression and insomnia which sometimes threatens to drown me… I turn to laughter to make me happy.

I’d not say I’m funny or witty, in fact I always get my sister to proof read the posts which I “think” might be amusing because as Ricky Gervais has recently showed us, humor can so easily hit the wrong note, Robert Downey Jr.s quote from the Golden Globes said it all “Aside from the fact that it’s been hugely mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones, I’d say the show’s going pretty good so far, wouldn’t you?” I’d hate that and would be very upset if my weak attempts at humor hurt someone…

So yes, this is why I join in with I ♥ Me,because sometimes I need to stop and appreciate that actually the simple things I take for granted about myself, like my ability to make laughter improve my day and hopefully that of others is a really great and wonderful thing, long may it last….

Boobie Wednesday – Why I did it….

What the? Is probably what you are thinking and you may be right…  I have been watching #boobiewednesday happen on Twitter for many months now wondering if I will  ever have the courage to join in.  Breast cancer awareness is a cause I have championed for many many years.

So why this Wednesday and what has changed in me to make me plaster my boobs all over the twitter feed, because yes non Twitter pals, yesterday I changed my Avatar on twitter to a picture on my boobs, wearing a very fetching bra of course and tweeted the message #boobiewednesday check your breasts for lumps #kickcancer as often as I could.

Well it starts here, at 18 I found a lump in my breast and had to have it removed, I was lucky it was benign but it took weeks and weeks of waiting and surgery for them find that out and a lot of stress and heartache. I have checked my breasts regularly ever since.

A while before the small people arrived I worked for a company who’s Managing Director’s wife had fought and subsequently lost her fight with cancer, she was an inspirational strong woman who I admire greatly, you may have seen her on The Mummy Diaries, she died on the day the last program was aired and although I hadn’t seen her for several years I cried my heart out for her loss. A very special lady who fought hard and raised thousands of pounds for a worthy cause.  For two years in a row I joined her and hundreds of other women on the Race for Life and yesterday I realised that now is the time to start thinking about joining in again this year, stamping my foot down on the pavement for a cause I care about.  So along with the “check your boobs” call yesterday I asked “Who wants to join me on the Race for Life this year?” I had one or two replies, twitter is world wide and geography is a bitch. But I think I will do it on my own if I have to this year…

So rightly or wrongly, I changed my “avi” and put the word out, I know me…  without that I won’t do it, it will slip away and I shall get to June and be upset because I didn’t motivate myself to take action.

Twitter reaction was fabulous, 700 followers is a fair amount and a lot of people asked why I’d done it (and were mostly pleased to hear that it was just for one day!) which allowed me to tweet back the message and keep it current and yes I have changed back to my normal picture today and I’m pleased I did it.

We need to kick all kinds of cancer, check your boobs ladies and your bits men, catch it early.

Sadly yesterday I got unfollowed by someone I respect and always enjoyed tweeting with, if that is because of the boobs that is very regrettable but I stand by my choice to stand up and be counted on a cause I care about. If not, well I can be a bit full on and probably pretty annoying, I apologise if I was out of line somehow but I respect her choice not to follow me, but I’m saddened all the same.