Autumn Love

I may or may not have expressed my love for Autumn in other posts, I don't care though because i'm going to say it again! I love it!

Saying goodbye to summer and the light evenings is not easy but there are so many things to look forward too. The drawing in of the nights for me means cosy evenings, hearty food, great fashion, halloween and not to mention the run up to christmas, sorry, I said the C word, but it is November now! and FYI I started my christmas shopping in September, smug.

If one thing symbolises Autumn for me, it's the trusty old pumpkin, I love them for adding a seasonal touch to my home, pumpkin recipes and of course, carving!

I thought i'd share a little pumpkin recipe in this post because it tasted yummy and even better made my house smell like Christm.... I'm not going to say it again, i'll use the word festive!

Pumpkin Spice Loaf 
I found a recipe online and adapted it a little, the loaf tastes lovely but it has a very moist texture. If you aren't keen on that you could reduce the wet ingredients and add a bit more flour!

Ingredients

• 210g pumpkin puree (I got Libby's in a can from Waitrose, Tesco have it too)
• 2 eggs
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 75ml of water
• 300g caster sugar
• 225g plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 level teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 level teaspoon of ginger
• 1 level teaspoon of nutmeg

Pre heat your oven to 180c or gas mark 4, you need a loaf tin also! mix together all the wet ingredients! Then do the same in a separate bowl with the dry ingredients. Then slowly add the dry to the wet and mix thoroughly. 

Grease your loaf tin lightly, pour the mixture in and put it in the middle of the oven for about an hour, check on it after 40 minutes and pop a skewer through the middle, when it comes out clean it is done!!

You could use less sugar if you wanted to, to make it a bit healthier, the recipe works just as well! You could also use one bowl instead of two and mix the dry and wet ingredients together if you can't be bothered with the washing up!

The last step is to light some candles, get some blankets and cuppa and thoroughly enjoy your glorious smelling home and not to mention, your cake!

Josephine xxx

Cheat Meal - Cottage Pie

A cheat meal, but not as you may know it! My version of a cheat meal has nothing to do with reverting away from healthy eating, but more to do with a haphazard attempt of making a 'homemade' meal for Tizzy. Like a lot of parents I'm seriously short on time during the week but still want to eat something decent.

My take on these meals usually involve taking a shortcut or two to save time! I thought I would start sharing some 'recipes' here for anyone else that it may help and for a bit of inspiration for myself when I am feeling indecisive!

First start off with a roasting dish/pie tin of some kind! This one i've acquired(borrowed/stolen) from a neighbour who kindly made some blackberry pie with Tizzy!

Then you need a pack of mince relative to the size your your family (see I told you it was haphazard), some frozen veg, some microwavable mash (frozen or the other veriety) sometimes I use carrot & suede mash to make it a bit healthier, some gravy granuals and a small bit of cheese!

I brown the mince off in a pan and at the same time boil or microwave the veg, when they are ready I pop them in the dish together and cover lightly with the gravy, when the mash has been microwaved i place it on top (usually after i've added some butter/milk to the mash) and put some grated cheese on top. Pop it in the oven for 15-20 mins and viola you have a 'homemade' cottage pie, just add what you want to the side. 

And don't laugh! It works for me....Think of all that time saved peeling spuds...You're welcome! 

Josephine x

Summer 2015!

Home movie! Summer 2015 captured in a few videos and pictures. A summer to remember with lots of fun and a first visit from the tooth fairy ❤️

https://youtu.be/yg6x-VIB4SE

Back To School & Catch Up!

September is upon us! Its been a long 'summer' and I use the word summer VERY lightly. But actually when I look back to the start of the holidays it seems to have flown by, we managed to fill our time with fun activities and the like!

Its always a strange time when the kiddies go back, full of both relief and sadness. I feel so lucky to have got to spend so much time with Miss Tizabelle this holiday, but boy are we both ready for a bit of routine! I always struggle to keep on top of what needs to be done when she is off school (as you may have noticed, my target of blogging twice a month seems to have gone out of the window haha!). I think its because she's such a busy child I feel she needs to be occupied a lot of the time, and just running a house is a full time job, never mind the rest! So I sure am looking forward to getting back on top of things.... where did I put that never ending to do list?

Tiz is struggling a little with the back to school adjustment, she's very clingy and holding on tight to my legs as I drop her off, which is never easy, but I think its a phase that will pass. Don't you find they know exactly what to say to pull at your heart strings, I think they sense our need to be needed and loved as mothers and play on it bit, the little rascals! Does anyone else's little one struggle with the transition back to school?

Finding myself a bit rusty on the old routine, getting stuff ready the night before & the school run, oh my! This school year I am determined to get the morning ritual down, isn't the day much better when your prepared and not rushing around like a fool!

Aside from the the little school meltdowns, autumn is my favourite time of year! Cold evenings, blankets, fires, hot drinks, fairy lights & comfort foods! Hoping to do some autumn inspired posts so keep a look out for those.

Josephine
xx


Here is a poem to bring a tear to your eye of your baby has just gone to school. 

First Day of School

(Wendy Silva)

I wonder what you're doing right now
and if everyone is treating you kind.
I hope there is a special person,
a nice friend that you can find.

I wonder if the teacher know just
how special you are to me.
And if the brightness of your heart
is something she can see.

I wonder if you are thinking about
me and if you need a hug.
I already miss the sound of your voice
and how you give my leg a tug.

I wonder if you could possibly understand
how hard it is for me to let you grow.
On this day know that my heart breaks,
for this is the first step in letting my baby go.

Zzzz hard work begins.....

Working from hell, sorry, home! (school holidays)

Well, maybe its not quite that bad! It is however, a challenge to work from home in some ways, especially in the school holidays.

Working from home obviously offers many people some great advantages, especially parents, but I don't think people often realise the challenges that come along with it. In this post I am going to go through what I find difficult and what I use to help myself. I'll recycle some of the advice I have been given along the way.

They key problem for most has to be motivation and structure! Some people can find it quite hard to sit down and work, or get anything productive done. I would say, if you are someone that struggles with motivation  the best thing I have found (in my short home working time) are to make a to do list and pre structure your day. So sit down first thing and write down a list of all the things you want to achieve in that day (or set out a few days) and them tick them off as you complete. The best thing about this is the actual list writing itself feels so productive, it sets you off on a good tone to start the day, start as you mean to go on and all that.. but just don't forget to actually get the stuff on the list done, as a great procrastinator I fully understand the difficulty in this! There are also some helpful apps and websites to help you structure your day and set 'to do' lists and targets, so have a look around for them!

We all know how effective social media can be to promote your business (I personally love it). But if your that someone who's not that into it or struggles to find the time, there are websites and apps that you can go to to schedule your posts for the week and set them to be sent out on all your social media platforms, HootSuite, Buffer etc. They are a great tool to use!

If you've got cabin fever, go away from home! Just get out. Go to a coffee shop or a library to get a few hours work done, sometimes a change of scenery is what is needed! Setting a specific work area at home is also very helpful, it doesn't have to be a separate room, just an area where you know that when you sit there it is time to work!

Another problem home workers find is that they are quite isolated and don't get to interact with others very much, the best solution for this is networking. Not only is it a chance to get out there and spread the word about your business and build up potential clients/customers, but its also a great way to meet like minded people and build a support network. Networking doesn't have to be expensive, have a look on Eventbrite.co.uk to see whats happening in your area!

Now, working from home with children is a different beast entirely! You may not be lonely but might just be driven to brink of insanity and back! Just remember the advantages, no expensive childcare and getting to be flexible enough to spent the time with your little ones. I read a fact on twitter that home businesses lose 4 hours of working time a day in the school holidays, and that does not surprise me one bit! The best advice i can give is not to worry to much, prioritise what needs to be done and set a flexible working schedule. I find that the morning is the best time to sit down and focus, it is the time when Tirion is most happy to entertain herself for a few hours and after that i can set another hour of structured stuff for her to do; colouring, craft sets or workbooks etc, even watching her favourite film.

Check with your local council as they may run some free play schemes you can use! You could always take your laptop to a soft play centre, if you work in that kind of noise (yikes).

Another possibility is to team up with other home working mummy, maybe there are childcare sharing opportunities to be had, or working together and letting the children play IF they get on well (we all know how it is).

Although there is a lot to manage when working from home, I have absolutely loved spending the Holidays with Tirion, it is the first time i have been able to! I've also loved being able to be flexible around the home, it allows me to keep on top of the housework, now i can pop a wash on or have a quick clean up in the day. Oh the excitement! 

Well I've heard  'mummy are you done yet' about 58 times in the last five minutes so I'd better end it there! Good luck, I hope this has been helpful to somebody! Let me know what tips you have to share! 

Josephine
xx

Ps tea and cake helps too!

Parties!! Tizzy Wizzy Party Co

It's been a busy busy few weeks, I thought I would share a few snaps of some of the parties/celebrations that we have done recently. It's been so fun! 

We've had Disney princess, Thomas the Tank Engine and a vintage afternoon tea baby shower! Ps the baby came next day, so if your getting a bit impatient why not have a Tizzy Wizzy baby shower and see if the same happens to you 😉 

This week we're going to spend some time developing the packages, adding a decoration only package and some veggie and vegan options to our menu. We've got more ideas in the pipeline so watch this space!

There will also be a competition coming soon to win a party by us, so keep your eyes open for that. 🐝🐝🐝

PS the summer holidays are upon us (already?!) so hopefully I'll get around to doing a post about what we are getting up to! Have fun and good luck on yours! 

Jo 

Xxx

What its been like starting out!

If I'm being honest starting my own business was not something I had really imagined doing with my life. Don't get me wrong I had always thought that it would be nice to do something of my own, but like many people I didn't know what that something was, or any idea where to start looking for the damn thing!!

Then in February of this year I held a birthday party for Tizzy, and no lie, I ran around like a headless chicken trying to organise it, food, decorations, entertainment, venue, guests (the list goes on). Do you HAVE to invite the whole class? Who are those children i've never heard of but Tizzy is now insisting come to the party!? I was HARD work!  Not because the experience of doing it was difficult or unpleasant, it was really fun! But I had a job, part time horse, full time child and a life of my own (not really) to contend with as well.

 Anyway, after the whole thing was over and I had recovered I started doing some research about doing this kind of thing as a business, and discovered a few similar but not quite the same things around, loads in Australia, America, London and the bigger county's but nothing in my area. And ping! There's the idea, the gap in the market, hopefully! If i could have paid someone to do it for me at a reasonable price, I would have, so hopefully others will too.

So, thats where it came from if anyone wondering how the hell you get from accountancy, my previous job, to this. Like Richard Branson says "if someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you're not sure you can do it, say yes - then learn to do it later". Which is exactly what I have done, only the opportunity offered me! Luckily I have experience with catering and I LOVE food... that counts, right?! Not to mention the 1046483753 children's parties I have been too in my 5 years of motherhood! Giving your child a great party is so rewarding and a memory you and your little on can keep forever, and I'm so excited to be part of that. This is also a great outlet for creativity, something I didn't have in my previous role.

Now, this might not work out, i'm aware of that, but if I don't give it a go, I will never know, you have to take a leap of faith sometimes! I can't remember a time since February where my mind wasn't constantly ticking over thinking of ideas and to do lists, but I love having something to focus on. The most challenging part so far has been building the website, that one's a real patience tester. FYI i have no patience at all for web design, and i've never done it before but my budget hasn't really allowed me to pay someone to make it. Have a look how its coming along www.tizzywizzyparty.co.uk .

Another thing I found along the way is that I was SO nervous to share what I was doing with people for fear of being judged, so nervous in fact it took me weeks and weeks of self talk to make the Facebook page live, there is something terrifying about telling people who know you, I kept thinking, what will people think if I fail? You know what, who cares? It was a big a step to overcome that mentality and with the help of a few TED talks on YouTube and some great friends, I'm getting there!

This is starting to be more of a book than a blog post! So i'll end it there. If you have something you want to do, just go out there and do it, whats the worst that can happen? I might do a post in a few months about managing starting up a business and being a mum and what my experience has been like so far!

Take care

Josephine xxx

Badminton Horse Trials 2015!

It's my favourite time of year (possibly better than Christmas), not only is it my birthday but it's Badmimton Horse Trials weekend. I have been every year bar one for around 8 or 9 years, which makes me feel old to say the least, where does the time go?!

If you don't know, then BHT is a 3 day event based just outside Bristol, at the badminton house estate. If your a horsey / country sort and your relativity close, you HAVE to go. You can go along for the day, or camp for the duration which if I remember rightly is 4/6 nights (we did this pre-kids). It's a great day out for the whole family, including the dogs, who are obviously welcome. Wednesday is the trot up, Thursday & Friday are dressage days, Saturday is cross country and Sunday the show jumping finale. 

As well as the the eventing itself, there is plenty else to do, the collection of trade stands is amazing and there really is something for everyone, the equestrian and country home-ware is my absolute fave! Second best to that has to be the food hall, oh my the tasty delicious food and beverages. Our tradition is to have a walk around the food hall and sample everything before we buy, this year we had the supreme sausages for brunch, they did not disappoint! Check them out www.supremesausages.co.uk

If your looking for a great time, I can't recommend camping enough, the bar, evening entertainment and atmosphere are second to none and if you don't really fancy slumming it you can camp in your caravan or Horsebox! 

So basically, if you like any of the following, you need to put badminton horse trials on your to do list;

. Horses

. Country life 

. Ridiculously good food

. Alcoholic beverages 

. Dogs 

. Fun

. Happiness

. The outdoors 

. Shopping

.  Life in general 

Here's a few pics of our latest badders trip and a few of yesteryear. 

Jo xx 

OOTD:

Purchases: 

Second time purchasing this from badders. It's so good, highly recommend. 

https://www.natural-skin-care.com/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=284

Xxx ✌🏻

It's over! We survived

I'm talking about the easter holidays of course! 

I think the hardest part of it is trying to fill the time, keep them occupied whilst still keeping hold of some of your hard earned cash. Oh and keeping hold of your sanity..

Easter is great for making craft and I found loads of inspiration on Pinterest and blogs. We made cute little bunny ears and masks, I love engaging with Tizzy and knowing that we are doing something she loves. She's currently obsessed with using sissors so she relished in using the big girl ones, which are like forbidden fruit, oh to be five again! 

We also spend some time with my loan pony, I can't quite figure out whether she helps or hinders with the mucking out! She loves to go for a little ride though. 

Maybe the best part of the holidays was the amazing weather we were blessed with, and we took full advantage and had a picnic, it was the perfect opportunity for me to get some practise and some photos of the food for Tizzy Wizzy Party Co. Take a look : 

My easter holiday reading consisted of this; 

I think that Tizzy has been pushing the boundaries a lot lately, at home and at school. I went back to my trusty Jo Frost book to help me put them back in place. Has anyone else got a boundary pushing 5 year old? 

Anyway! That's us for now, back to the grind today, school run and catching up on the two weeks of things that haven't been done around the house! 

Well done for surviving the holidays too! 

Jo xx

Mmm cookies

I fancied a Friday night bake, so I made the Tanya Burr cookies I saw on Zoella's vlog, they looked incredible, I can confirm they are SO good. 

For 10 cookies 

You will need:

200g butter 

300g caster sugar

1 large egg

174g self raising flour

75g of cocoa power

I then used a large bar of dairy milk

Large bar of milky bar white chocolate

Large bar of the dairy milk with daim in (yum) 

Unfortunately some of this chocolate got 'lost' in transit from the shop to the kitchen... I didn't eat it. 

Next you will need a little helper (can't always guarantee helpfulness) 

Then assist your helper with mixing the room temperature butter and sugar together until a smooth consistency. 

Then you want to add your egg and mix thoroughly. Then pop in all the rest of your dry ingredients. If your chocolatey mix is a little dry then add a drop of milk. 

Break up all the remaining chocolate that hasn't got 'lost' on the on way, add to mixture and stir in. 

You're then ready to roll them into a balls (if want white walls and furnishings to remain white I suggest the little helper is closely supervised 😫)

Pop in the oven for around 12 minutes. You need to let them cool properly or they will break apart! But they are divine. Enjoy. 

I parcelled a few up for friends too! 

Jo xx

And relax

It's been SO busy here between working, working and more working, I thought I would give myself the day off and try to relax. It's been so hard to wind down lately, with all the excitement. Spent my day playing with my loan pony and eating yummy food. Perfect :)