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October 08 - Toddling round the Christmas tree & Ooooing at the lights!

993 replies

50ftChristmasTree · 12/12/2009 21:58

10th Sept (Due 1st Oct) - loulou33 - Boy - Joe Louis David - 6lbs 12oz
16th Sept (Due 8th Oct) - Ksal - Girl - Emma Rae - 6lbs
21st Sept (Due 5th Oct) - myjobismum - Girl - Naomi Caitlin - 5lbs 10oz
2nd Oct (Due 12th Oct) - star6 - Boy - Quinlan - 5lbs 15oz
3rd Oct (Due 26th Sept) - purpleflower - Girl - Rebecca Jill Erzsebet - 8lbs 10.5oz
4th Oct (Due 30th Sept) - Aubergenie - Boy - Stanley - 7lbs 12oz
8th Oct (Due 6th Oct) - ronshar - Boy - William Dexter - 7lbs 11oz
9th Oct (Due 17th) - Marthasmama - Girl - Martha - 7lbs 10oz - Elective c-sec
10th Oct (Due 1st Oct) - CantSleepWontSleep - Boy - Duncan Elliot - 8lbs 4oz
12th Oct (Due 4th Oct) - pistachio - Boy - Thomas Fraser - 10lbs 2oz
16th Oct (Due 11th Oct) - heather1980 - Boy - Alexander James - 9lbs 5oz
17th Oct (Due 10th Oct) - pepperrabbit - Girl - Jessica Rose - 7lbs 15.5oz
24th Oct (Due 29th Oct) - Ekka - Boy - Matthew - 7lbs 15oz
26th Oct (Due 20th Oct) - jenwa - Girl - Phoebe Jasmine - 9lbs 2.5oz
28th Oct (Due 23rd Oct) - RachieW - Boy - Jack - 7lbs 4oz
31st Oct (Due 20th Oct) - KnickersOnMaHead - Boy - Samuel Paul - 9lbs 11oz
5th Nov (Due 29th Oct) - Honeymoonmummy - Girl - Poppy Grace - 6lbs 15oz
5th Nov (Due 30th Oct) - MamaG - Boy - Harry James - 10lbs 9oz

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
myjobismum · 19/12/2009 12:33

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pepperrabbit · 19/12/2009 12:46

Afternoon all, well, DH & DD got back at 7am, she has a virus which is quite common at the moment apparently but they said we were absolutely right to bring her in as it can mutate into pneumonia.... so now we have to look out for that and be very careful with her till she starts to improve. So clearly we're keeping her in, all wrapped up like a stuffed chicken, and I'll not be letting her out without a vest on till she's 25.
Very very tired now. DH coming in, not surprisingly woke the DS's up, in a terrible baton handing childcare way.
On the plus side I weighed 10st exactly this morning!! woohoo! Tantalisingly close to my goal of 9st anything! Sadly as I wasn't even wearing my glasses I could not convince the scales to drop another ounce!
Now we need to get a Christmas tree .

aubergenie · 19/12/2009 12:54

Pepper - You really have had an awful week. How is DD now?

Oh that is tough CSWS. Let's all rack our brains and think of some meal ideas to help you out. I know I've mentioned it before but agave nectar (also called agave syrup, I think) is a low GI way to sweeten foods. I use it in baking and get it from the health food shop.

Pistachio - The chilli I made the other night was just an excuse to use up lots of our veg box veg so I don't really have a recipe for that. But one that I make quite often is from this lovely book. It's a black bean, aubergine and leek chilli with polenta gnocchi and lime soured cream (or Total greek yoghurt in this house). I'll type out the recipe if you like the sound of it.

myjobismum · 19/12/2009 13:15

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50ftChristmasTree · 19/12/2009 13:30

CSWS - Have you tried Vogels bread? When I stop eating sugar it is the only bread that isn't too sweet for me. There are three varieties..... hang on is that what you were talking about? I second Aubergenie's recommendation for agave nectar, I even use it to replace honey when making Teriyaki. I am sure I've got some Low GI books and I certainly have a few nutrition books around which might give ideas for GD. Porridge with oat milk and agave nectar for breakfast? You could make buckwheat pancakes with agave nectar and blueberries....

Pistachio - Your diet sounds very yummy indeed! I hope I can convince DH to eat that way........ Is it a cheap way to eat? That will sell it to him!

Pepper - I really hope poor dd is on the mend soon. Well done on the weight loss. Think of it this way, you're 9st 14lbs .

I am now fed up with the ice. Snow is one thing but..... stupid ice. The stupid ice made me fall on my knee. Big fat me all down on one knee = very painful knee. It is a bit bruised and sore but not too bad.

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myjobismum · 19/12/2009 13:35

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50ftChristmasTree · 19/12/2009 13:43

Myjob - I am a big fatty but I plan to change that in the New Year. If, in the New Year I refer to myself as fat you are allowed to shout at me. I am going to try positive thinking to see if it helps, so I am getting in all the "I'm a fatty fatty fat fat"s out of the way. I do feel particularly huge today, especially as I went out without make-up and looked like a fat 50 year-old man! Depressing! I need to shape up!

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myjobismum · 19/12/2009 13:52

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50ftChristmasTree · 19/12/2009 14:02

Better that than a 50 year old man Myjob! My skin is very dry and wrinkly. I have neglected it and spent all my money on nappies the DC rather than on looking after my skin!

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aubergenie · 19/12/2009 14:09

My skin is really dry and flaky at the moment too. I'm going to buy some Udo's oil or similar to try and moisturise from within. Or something.

I bought some ground up flax seeds and sneak them onto S's porridge in the morning and into the bread machine.

I was just rummaging around in my makeup bag and realised that I've had all my make up for years and it's all fluffy and horrible. You're supposed to replace it after 6 months aren't you.

myjobismum · 19/12/2009 14:11

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50ftChristmasTree · 19/12/2009 14:18

Aubergenie - Make-up and cosmetics generally have use by dates on them. Generally anything that goes around the eye has a use by date of 6 months once they have been opened. Cream are usually 12 or 18 months and anything powdery 24 months. These use by guide labels have been on make-up for about five years so if yours haven't got any, I think you might need to bin it! I need to have a clear out. I am obsessively hanging on to all the Chanel compacts that I used to buy when I had money! £25 a pop! Myjob, think of the fluff you could buy for that!

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StarExpat · 19/12/2009 14:23

more chickpea recipes pistachio! yum yum yum!!
I do a lot with lentils, but I should use more chickpeas!

I'm tired. I just stood out in the cold for 2 hours waiting for my car to be fixed! I'm such a wimp to the cold!!! Can't deal with it at all!

aubergenie · 19/12/2009 14:29

Some of the labels have rubbed off so I can't see the dates, 50ft. A couple of things that I know are less than a year old don't seem to have dates on though. Does everything have a date?

50ftChristmasTree · 19/12/2009 14:47

I think it has to by law these days Aubergenie. This article has some general info.

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myjobismum · 19/12/2009 15:26

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ronshar · 19/12/2009 15:59

Just saying a quick hello.
Stop saying you are fat. Get rid of your scales. They are the tool of the devil.

W not well. Off again as he is crying.

StarExpat · 19/12/2009 19:32

aubergenie/50ft - can't remember who said it! I'm not even really as bothered by her not communicating with me as she usually does as much as I'm bothered by her not even giving a one word text that night to say we wouldn't be meeting up. I know how it is to be overwhelmed. To be over emotional and to be depressed, even. But I would never tell someone we're meeting for dinner later and then let them know I'm not doing so well (esp if I had a history of self harm!!!) but I'd see them for dinner after my counselling session... then just not contact the friend at all to let her know I couldn't meet up or that I'm alive... anything.
I don't think I'm being unreasonable about that. I'll let it go. But this is the 2nd time she's done something similar in the past few months. It just really gets to me because it's so obvious that she doesn't care about my feelings at all (not that she should when she's goign through all of this!! Not at all. Just that I don't think she thinks of me as a person with feelings who is affected by things she does!).

Just a simple text even saying "can't meet up tonight" would have sufficed.

I was up all night worrying about suicide...etc. Not to mention the very trivial matter that I didn't have dinner with DS and DH because I was waiting to go out with her, I had gotten ready, took a shower, did hair, got dressed out of work clothes (when I'd usually get into PJs) and waited and waited and waited... and text to see what's up.. nothing... finally, just got into pjs and got a late cold dinner.
The all night worry was more of an issue... I am trying to see where I'm being unreasonable, but I just don't see it. If it were me, I'd let the friend know that I couldn't go anymore!!!

And she didn't apologize. She doesn't even feel badly about it. Totally ignored me when I asked what happened or why there was no contact to tell me we wouldn't be going out... just totally blatantly ignored that question. It was clear and obvious. Finally, she was sort of forced to answer, and she just said, "i don't even remember, just went to bed"...
I'm usually a much better friend than this and I shouldn't be about it an djust let it go!! sorry.

PistachiosRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 19/12/2009 19:52

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aubergenie · 19/12/2009 20:09

Star - I absolutely don't think you're being unreasonable. I didn't fully understand that she'd totally let you down about meeting up. I thought is was a looser arrangement. Given what you've just said, I can totally understand why you were so worried about her. Depression can make people very self-absorbed (and she certainly sounds self-absorbed at the moment, from what you've said), but I think it would be totally reasonable to explain how worried you were and to request that she lets you know if she's going to break an arrangement because it was very inconvenient for you. Maybe when she gets back, she might be more open to a dialogue with you.

Pistachio - I'll dig out the recipe in a bit and you can see whether you might be able to adapt it.

Ekka · 19/12/2009 20:21

CSWS - sorry to hear about the GD. Are you avoiding seafood for your dc or you? I know that M is allergic to most fish/seafood (we had an example of that tonight with seabass, another fish I thought he was already ok with), but if I eat it he doesn't seem to be affected.

Battery on my laptop is dying, but I thought I'd just add that our Xmas party was fantastic - everyone made it and it was a complete madhouse with 7 mums and 11 kids, but great fun. Due to one of the dads getting cold feet at the last minute, dh was persuaded to dash home from work to dress up as Santa and hand out the Secret Santa pressies. The kids loved it and even dd didn't realise it was her daddy (though you'd have thought the accent might have given him away a bit!)

My parents are arriving tomorrow for Xmas and dsis will be here midweek so I may get less browsing time....

myjobismum · 19/12/2009 20:53

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aubergenie · 19/12/2009 20:55

Aubergine and leek chilli

Ingredients
200g dried black turtle beans, soaked and boiled
Olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tbsp cumin seeds, ground
8 dried birds eye chillies, ground
500g tinned tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
400g aubergines
1 large leek
1 bunch fresh coriander

Method

Fry onions, garlic and then spices. Cook for 2 mins before adding the tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer sauce for 15 mins. Check the spicing. It needs to be very spicy at this point as the beans and veg will dilute this.

While the sauce is cooking, chop the aubergine and toss the chunks in olive oil. Post them in a hot oven, turning a couple of time, until browned.

Chop the leeks into chunks and wash them. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook leeks until tender.

Add the beans, aubergines and leeks to the sauce and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in the fresh coriander.

Polenta gnocchi
Ingredients
250g coarse corn meal/polenta
1200 ml sstock
Cheddar or philadelphia cheese (optional)
Olive oil

Method
In a pan, heat up the stock and pour in the polenta, whisking continously until it thickens. Cook for a further 15 mins or so until the grains are cooked, stirring regularly to prevent it sticking. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, if using. Pour the mixture into a baking tin and leave to cool and set. Once set, cut into circles. When you want to re-heat them, toss them in olive oil and bake them

aubergenie · 19/12/2009 21:06

Can't believe I just posted a polenta recipe for an Italian.

The party sounds great Ekka.

I bought some cheaper pampers nappies the other day. Turns out ds is allergic. His bum is really sore and almost blistered. Poor thing was so upset. I've put some Metanium on it, but I felt dreadful for him.

It reminded me of N Myjob. Did you ever find out what caused the blisters on her bum.

Thanks for that make up info 50ft. I'll take it all as a good excuse to treat myself to some new stuff anyway!

PistachiosRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 19/12/2009 21:09

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