Cream coloured parsnips and crisp apple strudel, Beetroot and bok choi and swiss chard with noodles - 10/10 thread,

[TooTicky]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page
here

Oh and since having completed the table, sculpture and person with string arms Franny, I have seen her wandering around the house with nails and her hammer eyeing up the kitchen chairs and a chest of drawers and other things made of wood.

Help! Do I have to go to a builders merchants and ask them to cut me some bits of wood in interesting shapes Franny?

oh 100, I didn't mean marble runs for the child......

Mine was obsessed with Brio utterely at that age. And until he was 7. He would push any random object along in a straight line for days whispering ''choo choo' to himself. He cannot entertain himself for toffee nowadays

Oh dear Avi, I think it depends on the child. Boys that like making things might like them I don't know, mine just dropped the marble in and that was satisfying for about ten minutes but then that was it.

The same happened with Scalectrix. Round the cars went and that was that.

I think older children or young genius constructors might like marble runs if they are capable of building briliant runs, but 3 y-o aren't.

Cafes and picnics! It's that gorgeous kitchen he's got.

all this construction talk - on a Sunday

We never got on with marble runs either. It was dens, diggers and dinosaurs here.

DD is always walking round with scissors and things atm. She has been making books. They are quite good.

I know FMV, same here. Now it's all got technological really.

DS1 makes animated films with a camera, and will spend hours doing that. And he has started on Lego very recently - he's 10! DS2 loves the theatre we got him and he'll still dress up and things, but he needs people in the way he didn't use to.

DD is useless, and unless she's wrecking something is incapable of playing on her own.

I think 'playsets' are great for 3 y-olds. Whatever catches their fancy really, hospitals, or a Ninja turtle lair or anything with people in really. I heart playmobile.

Oh dear. We left our car last night because I decided I wanted to get drunk and dh walked over to get it and has just come back and found us ALL in exactly the places we were when he left, and he is all wind-swept and fresh and frowning at us.

Better go.

I relented to an xbox this year. It is only allowed out at the weekend but I hate it already. I was trying not to be controlling again.

FMV - have your boys got a games console?

yes, 100x, go and get some fresh air too. We can't have non-divine fainting all over the place you know.

I've just been for my half hour run. (well a total of 9 mins actual running but I'm getting there!) Does everyone else want to declare thier exercise '10' for the day?

I'm going to have mushrooms on a bagel for lunch. And pineapple.

100x apparently dh banged nails into everything as a child. Windowsills were a particular favourite! Haven't found the joy of marble runs yet. DD got a picnic set for Christmas but I am worrying about the teapot. She's meant to copy what she sees right? But I don't make tea in a tea pot. Should I start so that she know what to do with it? [angsty]

I think the spout will give her a clue, PSW, I don't think you'll have to dig out the pot just yet.

Have you really been running this morning? I am starting tomorrow. I joined that thread so I will really truly do it, I used to run years ago, and kickbox but I am quite unfit these days. Do you go on your own or with a friend?

Yes I went at about half 10. I go on my own with some guy from California on my iPod! He's done the couch to 5k interval training to music, telling you when to run and when to walk. You'll see about it on the other thread. I'm going to see my sister in Norwich this weekend. I'll wave to you!

yes, I am going with a friend so I will skip the ipod bit I think. I am going for a walk in a bit so I will look out for you!

Frayedknot - I noticed I rudely ignored you earlier when you asked me a question and it was a kind question asking me if I am better. Yes, I am, thank you. I thought of you when I walked past the sofabed shop yesterday.

Can we have new title suggestions please?

I still am all sinusy. I won't describe what is coming out as I know some of you are delicate.

I am also starving, and there is no end to the clothes I am growing out of. I don't understand these women who end the pregnancy looking the same way that they started it, except with a kind of basketball stuck on their front, and porn star tits

if I put on maternity trousers I look hippo-like. So elasticated skirts are my friend

Yes Mrs C. They do have games console. And handheld Nintendo thingies.
And a Wii.

It's Not my fault...dh had to have them all over the years as part of research and development.
And one ds (the one school claims has attention difficulties) can entertain himself for hours armed with just a ball of blu tac....

all of them? How on earth do you allocate your screen time?

I am a hypocrite though, I tell mine only at the weekends and only a certain amount of time or whatever and I have spent the whole morning on here.

I think I will go to the beach when dh gets back from sainsburys, I like the sea when it's grey and windy.

Hello Veggers, I'm back from holiday. It was wonderful and warm and we did swimming in the sea and rockpooling and lots of sitting in cafes and a bit of reading and lots of talking and drinking wine and some exploring and we visited a volcano, and a pirate village and went on an excursion with a hilarious tour guide who translated everything into 4 languages but no one at all could understand anything he said, and we ate tapas and slept huge amounts and it was lovely. And I have a slight tan. And feel refreshed.

Thank you.

heyn Boco

OMG - was it wonderful - ah- rock pools, volcanoes, cafes, tan all good good good.

Tell me you had the most wonderful time. TEll me how your friend was - did you have any frosty moments? Did you stay up late giggling??

my ds did do the marble run thing - all propped on chairs and going down the stairs etc. was fab. He never did the thomas the tank engine phase (thank god - those books are boredom in board).

I think the other crucial thing is that I like dmarble run so I would get it out and make huge elaborate things with him. I only bought my children toys I would like so I could bear playing with them.

Alas, they are gorwn up and independantly minded now so it is all bionical and babies.

Boco! Boco! I watched the film and it was oooh, and aaah, and quite a bit aaaargh, and we have all been being Swedish and wearing only our cardigans in your honour

I like marble runs.

we've got this one. It's very nice.

what was the film - did you ever say? I was too interested inthe cardigan.

here

my New Swedish Friend says she has another one by him that I can watch

Bee yes! We did do lots of staying up and laughing a lot, but also a huge amount of sleeping - we had siestas, 2 hour siestas every day! The children were amazingly good, they came out to restaurants, ate their dinner and then curled up and went to sleep while we ate more. It was amazing to sit in warm sunshine - was horrible arriving back at 1 am this morning to drizzle and cold.

Ooh Franny - does that mean you liked it? I love it, i love the ginger beard man, when he finally stands up to his girlfriend, and i love the children, and when they play torture and only have one lego brick, and demand hotdogs, and I love the long suffering girl with the glasses, and when the uptight woman next door comes and joins in at the end, and the little boy with the snub nose and Abba and cardigans!