July 2010: Warning, this thread contains offensive language; 1 wedding, --d--jogging and some Creme Eggs (although we don't know why). Oh and some babies who are nearly 1 year old.

[CakeandRoses]

See? Panicking works!

Memphis North Scotland. Sorry to hear about your pnd, hope its getting better for you.

Happy 11month day Spirael's baby (sorry not sure what you've all got). Hope weigh in goes well. Ds is definately getting longer as he can reach more forbidden stuff by the day but I think he's just stretching out like chewing gum rather than putting on weight.

Survey:
How many of you have dishwashers/ tumble dryers and how often do you use them?
Ancient tumble dryer came with the house, never used it as I also hate crispy clothes. Dh and I used to loathe doing the dishes pre-ds, now its quite satisfying to get something done once he's in bed (tragic that dishes are now an achievement!)

What do you consider your "treats"? (I mean things which you indugle in regularly, but not little things like mars bars) Baking? Bikini waxes or salon treatments? A legion of domestic staff?
Need to work on this, I feel guilty doing stuff for myself. Listening to comedy podcasts, reading, radio4, going to exhibitions/theatre/gigs. Obvious don't do any of that anymore except radio and podcasts. Never had a salon treatment in my life, far too scared.

How many days per week do you go out (either to stay and play/ sing and sign/ lunch with friends) and how many do you stay in?
Moved to the country so we do have more in time than a lot of you. Go in to town once or twice a week, over to neighbours to yak once a week, maybe some kind of family thing on dh days off. Try and go for a walk everyday or just poking around in the garden.

Do your DPs have standard responsibilities WRT childcare, Ie: first nappy of the day/ bedtime, or do they help out as and when?
Both although sometimes has to be spelled out which I resent. We do bath and bed together (its a battle some nights, you need a tag team), I get 2 lie ins a week as ds feeds all bloody night. Dh gets lie in bank holidays.

How often do you clean your kitchen floor?!
Not enough! Maybe once a week but I don't allow outside shoes in the house and I heard a doc on radio 4 about how they need dirt to build up bacteria in their stomachs to aid digestion...

albrecht like the excuse of not cleaning floor because they need the bacteria to build up to aid digestion, I clean my floors a lot but I will use that excuse next timeL is crawling around with a shoe or dog toy in his mouth!! he thinks he is a dog, in my defence I do prise the item from his jaws but it is harder than getting something from the actual dog

oh I will start the introductions anyway, im from Leicester and I have a boy called Lyndon he was born in the 12th

120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
40g unsalted butter
120ml whole milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
-Preheat oven to 170c/gas 3.
-Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding mixer and beat on slow until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually add half the milk and beat until it's just incorporated.
-Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue mixing until it's smooth but don't overmix.
-Spoon into paper cases until 2/3 full (ish) and bake for 20-24 mins or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched.
-Leave to cool slightly in the tin and then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.
-Once cooled ice with buttercream
250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter at room temp
2 tblsp whole milk
couple of drops of vanilla extract
-Beat icing sugar and butter in a mixer until well mixed.
-Combine milk and vanilla in separate bowl and add to butter mixture a little at a time. Once all the milk has been added turn the mixer to high speed and beat the living daylights out of it (at least 5 minutes!). The longer you do it, the lighter/fluffier it is.

I use syrup too, seriously just stick the very tip of a teaspoon in and add it to the icing and mix, then add it tiny bit by tiny bit. It's waaaay stronger than you think but you can make it pale if you go easy on it!

I'm currently in Hereford though not from anywhere near here, have a 2.5yr old Lucy and Samson born 24/07/2010

memphis i'm pretty sure the only reason we iron is because mlic made us feel so guilty!

I keep meaning to ask, how's L's nose?

S learnt to clap yesterday, I know he's a bit slow but there's no stopping him now He's also started giving me things which is very sweet!

And I use a cocktail stick to do paste colour.

Snap, I use cocktail sticks too but not everyone has them in their kitchen and didn't want memphis trotting out especially to buy some

chulita thanks for that will try that one at some point totallt different to my recipe! his nose is ok, still swollen on the bridge and he still doesnt like me touching it.
needle I do only iron because mlic bullied me into it

oh and I used a skewer as I couldnt find a cocktail stick!

Can't wait til I start getting given things. There is something I really like about them having their own free will and deciding where they want to be, which filthy thing they want to chew etc.

I am in awe of those of you who manage to iron with a baby around. Do you do it once they are asleep? I can't get much done when he's awake and he'll only nap on me.

That's why mums go to Iceland

Hi tsc. You probably don't remember but you answered a thread of mine ages ago - your excellent name sticks in my mind.

Sorry don't know anything about baptism cakes but could you make a list of what food you want and ask guests to pick a dish to bring? So you don't end up with 17 trifles...

Hello Albrecht its nice to meet someone on here from the same part of the world as me :o

Survey:

How many of you have dishwashers/ tumble dryers and how often do you use them? dishwasher goes on every night and tumble drier is used a lot (it does seem to rain most days here) if its not raining or looks unlikely to rain then I'll hang the washing out. I always tumble towels I can't bear hard towels.

What do you consider your "treats"? (I mean things which you indugle in regularly, but not little things like mars bars) Baking? Bikini waxes or salon treatments? A legion of domestic staff? nothing I can think of

How many days per week do you go out (either to stay and play/ sing and sign/ lunch with friends) and how many do you stay in? I work Monday,Wednesday and Friday Tuesday I have physio (accupunture and hydrotherapy) and Thursday I take Dylan to the speach therapist. Nothing very exciting I'm afraid :(

Do your DPs have standard responsibilities WRT childcare, Ie: first nappy of the day/ bedtime, or do they help out as and when? its a 50:50 split I normally do all the feeding so dh does the nappies. Bedtimes are a case of one parent per child one night I'll put Dylan to bed and read him a story while dh does the same with Bethan (i always give Bethan this feed) and vice a versa .we bath the kids every second or third day and its mainly dh that does the bathing as my backs still shot from the pregnancy. My lie in day is Saturday dh has Sundays

How often do you clean your kitchen floor?! it gets swept each night and mopped once a week

When we did the buffet lunch for M's naming ceremony TSC we went to Costco, bought lots of bread/spread/meat/cheese slices and set up a production line with some friends during the morning to get lots of sandwiches made. In addition, we bought bottles of pop, bags of crisps and a biiiig cake.

We also cheekily put on the invitation that while a basic lunch of sandwiches/crisps/salad/drink was provided, if people wanted to bring a donation to the table it would be gratefully received. People actually seemed to have fun with this, as they made all kinds of exotic hors d'?uvres!

For Albrecht, mine is a girl - Miranda, known as Mindy. :) I'm based in Leeds.

tsc fob your friend off with the line, oh your the pro a these things I trust your judgment and she shouldnt ask you for cake ideas again! good idea of spiraels about the costco thing its brilliant for cold meats etc, and then finger foods like samosas, sausage rolls, cous cous, salad.

I'll 3rd costco they do loads of chicken and nibbles really reasonably. Also we had an induction day at work once were the manager went to lidl and bought tapas things and bellinis, humous etc and it was all quite cheap. Also make up past salads as they are really cheap. Like tuna pasta, tomato pasta or cheese ham and mayo. All goes down well with salads, meats and chickens.

Hi albrecht I have a girl Rileigh who was born 07/07 and a son who is 1e. I'm from glasgow. Hope the pnd is gettiing better.

I have to give R a bottle at 6am even though she has her last bottle at 10pm is that ok?

tsc neither of these might be what you're looking for but here's a couple of ideas:

A friend recently had her son christened and booked an italian restaurant for afterwards but we all paid for our meal. The invitation was very polite and said they understood if you could only make the service. It was lovely and very child-friendly.

What I did for F's last birthday party was a kind of Indian buffet: a vat of dal (cheap as well, lentils) put in ramekins so it was all finger food and didn't need cutlery, chapatis, samosas, pakoras, chutneys etc and dh did some spicy chicken too. It went down well with everyone and def wasn't expensive.

Yo albrecht. I've got a feeling you settle right in over here in the crumpled corner. I live in Herts and have Felix 2.7yo and Aurelia 10m.