The Gallery: My Weekend.

On Friday evening we were invited out to a comedy night. The men look mighty impressed with their 2 pint glasses. Both looking sober at this point.

My husband happened to say I look like Marjorie Doors from Little Britain!! with my lovely friend Becky.

The guys after a few of those 2 pints!!

Becky owning the dance floor. We all had a brilliant night, I laughed so much my cheeks hurt. Working full time and having the kids we don't go out much at all. This weekend made me realise I am not too old to go out and enjoy myself.




Pop over to sticky fingers and check out the other Gallery posts.

Think before you open your mouth.

My day started off well, I had a lovely group with a new mum and a pregnant lady came to get a bit of insight to breastfeeding from some of the mums. One of my mums told me how well I looked and she said she could start to see my weight loss. Her comment gave me a massive confidence boost and I felt great.

After a few home visits I made my way to pick Olivia up from the child minder. Walking home I bumped into someone I have not seen for a while. Her first question to me was, "Are you pregnant?". To which I replied, "NO!". She then looked surprised by my answer and said, "Well you look like you are!". In those few words she made me feel an inch high and I wanted the ground to swallow me up. Do people not realise how much they hurt people with stupid comments like this.

My daughter being 6ft 2 is always told how tall she is, with comments like MY GOD YOU'RE TALL!! She hates it and says she would not dream of walking up to someone and stating the obvious like MY GOD YOU'RE OLD, SHORT, FAT etc.

I came home very upset and did not want my tea and suddenly felt very fat, ugly and hating myself. I wish now I had said to her I have been dieting for two months working very hard, and you have just made me feel like crap.

I have just re read all the Mumentum posts and now feel much better so would like to thank all of you for your support.

Dianne x

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MUMenTUM

This week has had some ups and downs, on the up side I have kept up with my exercise and now manage 40 lengths of swimming. On the downside I went out on Friday night and had a lot of alcohol!! I changed from my favourite tipple of wine to drinking brandy and diet coke. We ended up in a kebab shop at 2 in the morning and I ordered a chicken kebab, thinking it was healthy option. When I got home it was not pure chicken breast like normal it was in sauce on a bed of chips!! with garlic and chilli sauce!! I was annoyed I had no pitta bread in the box. I gave my husband most of it but I must confess I did eat some.

My monthly weigh in is on Wednesday and I am keeping my fingers crossed I have done ok.

My aims this week are to try making some different dishes to keep me interested.

Try not to live on salad for days.

Sort through my holiday clothes.

Do more exercise on the wii fit

I tried a packet of these snacks today and the sweet chilli flavour are lovely and only 81 calories a bag. A friend of mine discovered them in Home Bargains and I think I will be going to get some more.

I hope everyone has had a good week and all the lucky mums that went to cybermummy had a fantastic time.

Keep your fingers crossed for me on Wednesday.

Sunshine Award...

I would really like to Thank clairejustineoxox for nominating me for the Sunshine Award. She is a lovely mum with an interest in fashion and running amongst other things. Thank you also for stopping by my blog and leaving me lovely comments x

Well I now have to tell you a few things about myself and then nominate some blogers to pass the award on to.

1) I am currently trying to lose two stone for my holiday. Then several more after that. The lovely ladies in MumenTum are helping with this.

2) I went to my first comedy night on Friday and it was amazing, I have never laughed so much in ages, will definitely be going again.

3) Love my new hobby of swimming.

4) I am thinking about learning to drive.

5) Contemplating a change in career.

Bloggers I have chosen to receive the Sunshine Award

1) muminmeltdown

2) circusmums

3) livloudude

Silent Sunday

The Gallery: Three Words

My Beautiful Daughter Thinking what three word picture to post was a tricky one and then I thought about my blog and the title, Mum of 4 I spend a lot of time blogging about my three younger children and not doing a post about my eldest child. I hope with this picture she will see how very special she is.

MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

Dish of the day

After having tuna salad for the past two evenings and for my lunch at work! I decided I needed something cooked for tea. I really fancied something spicy! I decided I would make a healthy chilli x

I browned some steak mince.

Then I drained the mince (not much to drain as steak mince). I added a full punnet of mushrooms.

Next I put some chopped peppers and chillies

I don't like tomatoes but I can manage to eat them in things if I can't see them, in went a tin of chopped tomatoes.

Once I stirred the chopped tomatoes in I added 2tbsp's of tomato purée.

To make a nice sauce I added half a pint of water.

Finish off with a tin of drained kidney beans

I left the chilli simmering whilst I prepared some basmati rice. As I like my chilli quite spicy I serve my chilli with 2tbsp's of half fat creme fresh.

The end result.

I really enjoyed the change and it was nice having a warm meal whilst it is pouring down outside. Mmmmm

National Breastfeeding Week

This week is National Breastfeeding Week and we have been planning our Teddy Bears Picnic for weeks now to celebrate. All breastfeeding mums in the area are invited to the event. The event is held in our local park, we are having a teddy bear hunt, parachute games, bubble machines, soft play, singing and music making etc. Last year it was a really hot day and some of the mums brought little sun tents. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rain stays away on Thursday morning and does not ruin our day.

The NCT have kindly given us some money off vouchers for a local coffee shop that we can hand out. Normally we have lots of breastfeeding promotion items to give out but with all the cut backs we have none this year. The event is also a great place for pregnant mums to come along and chat to people about breastfeeding and answer any questions they may have.

Is anyone doing anything exciting in their area for Breastfeeding week, I would love to hear about them as any ideas for next year would be much appreciated.

MUMenTUM - My second week.

This week has been a bit of a strange week for me, I have been good with what I have eaten and worked hard at swimming. I can't really put my finger on it but I just feel like I have hit a stand still with my weight. As I go to the doctors to get weighed once a month I don't really know how I have done this week. I chose not to have a sneaky weigh in at work or home as I get too hung up on the scales.

After trying on nearly my entire wardrobe and feeling sorry for myself I decided to read through other Mumentum blog posts and it gave me a kick up the bum pick me up that I needed.

The cupboards were getting empty (well the fridge) by the middle of last week and I think if you are not stocked up on foods you can eat this is when you start to struggle. I also need to plan my meals or I get passed it trying to decide what to make when I get in from work.

Tonight I made myself a tuna salad

I do like my salad cream so I have changed to waistline so that I can have a tablespoon of it.

Steff's vegetarian salad, you may have noticed we are both tomato and yolk dodgers.

Whilst I was making the salads I made myself this one for my lunch tomorrow with the other half a tin of tuna.

For supper I have prepared sugar free jelly with strawberries and pour on Activia yoghurt. Something to enjoy whilst reading peoples blog posts.

This week I am joining the gym and aiming to swim more lengths. Hope everybody has had a good week and look forward to reading your posts

Silent Sunday

The Gallery: Dads

As I have lost my Dad I find Father's Day a very sad time for me. I have to remember the children have a Dad so I put on a brave face and help them give him breakfast in bed and pamper him all day (nothing different from a normal day lol).

Proud dad with his boys x

The only picture I can find of Daddy with Olivia x

Happy Father's Day to all Dads xx

My Healthy Eating Plan

After a life time of yo-yo dieting, spending the past year burying my head in the sand over my ever increasing waistline I decided enough was enough and I had to make a total life time change and start a healthy eating programme the whole family could enjoy.

My father died of a sudden mass heart attack 9 years ago it was a massive shock and I can't bear the thought of my children growing up without me. My five year old asked me why I was fat and not thin like her child-minder, she went on to tell me she will look like her child-minder when she is older not me.

You would think with a body building gym fanatic for a husband I would be obsessed with my appearance.

When I went to my doctor I just told her how I felt and she asked if I had ever followed the healthy eating plate. I looked at her and explained that I deliver weaning to new mum's and knew what I should eat but it is easier said than done.

My doctor gave me a booklet from the British Heart Foundation called So you want to lose weight ... For Good

After looking through the booklet and talking about the way it works I said I would give it a go. I now see the doctor every 4 weeks for a weigh in.

What I can eat

8 or more portions of fruit or veg a day. including fresh fruit juice/ tinned fruit in own juice etc.
8 portions of carbs a day e.g bread, rice, potato, cereal, pasta etc.
3 portions of milk or dairy e.g 1/3 pint semi or skimmed milk, low fat yog, cottage cheese etc.
3 non dairy protein portions e.g meat, fish, eggs and beans
3 portions spreading fats, sauces, oils and dressings
200 calorie High fat, high sugar, alcohol
7 or more glasses of water

All of the above is per day or you could build your 200 calorie a day treat for a weekend take away or drinking night out.

You should eat Breakfast, Lunch and Tea with healthy snacks.

My typical Day

Breakfast:- 2 Weetabix with a sliced banana and some of my skimmed milk, glass of water.

mid-morning:- coffee, fruit.

Lunch:- Tuna Salad, glass of water.

mid-afternoon:- glass of water.

Evening meal:- Chicken, prawn or beef stir fry with a glass of water.

Super:- Big bowl of fruit with half fat fromage frais/ natural yoghurt.

If I want something nice I have a breakaway as they only 99 calories and a solid biscuit.

A friend of mine at work designed me a tracker sheet

Tonight I made a beef stir fry, which I used lean beef strips, peppers, mushrooms, cabbage etc. My sporty runner friend introduced me to these stir fry sauces

They only have a trace of fat and taste lovely.

I would like to say this is my husbands portion not mine lol. I have to admit I struggle to eat 8 carbs so I sometimes have toast on an evening. As well as my new Healthy eating I have also started swimming and I have also joined the lovely Liska and other blog hop members of MUMenTUM everyone is so friendly, if you have not checked out some of the ladies blogs yet pop over and have a look.

MUMenTUM

Well I hope I have read this blog hop correctly and I am not making a fool of myself. I know my youngest child is 5years old but after 4 children and letting myself go lately I have a Mum Tum. I have recently blogged about the new healthy me and have been exercising and eating better for 5 weeks now. I have managed to loose a stone and a half in this time but I still have a long way to go.

My Goals are:-

1. Eat Healthier

2. Eat Breakfast

3. Go swimming at least once a week

4. Encourage my daughter with her new healthy lifestyle too.

I am hoping with the support of members of the Mumentum blog hope I will achieve my goals.

First Hair Cut

Believe it or not Olivia has never had a hair cut or been to a hairdressers so yesterday I took her along to my local Salon.

Before we left.

She only had a trim for her first cut but it is now much healthier and she had a great time.

Silent Sunday

Barnaby's Adventure

My daughter got to bring Barnaby Bear home from school for the holidays. I was working for most of the holidays so we did not really get chance to go anywhere or do anything really exciting. Olivia needs to take pictures of his adventures and complete his diary before returning to school on Monday (my children have had two weeks off, not just the usual one as they put all their PD days together).

As it was a lovely evening on Thursday we decided to go on a 4 mile walk taking Barnaby with us. I thought we could kill two birds with one stone as it would help me with my exercise and weight loss programme and capture some photographs of Barnaby.

At the start of the walk Olivia was quite happy running with Barnaby.

After Barnaby managed to climb to the top of a concrete post Olivia gave him a cuddle and congratulated him x

Barnaby got a little hot on the way so Olivia took his top off and Barnaby asked if he could hold Steff's hand as well as Olivia's.

Barnaby had great fun climbing in the trees.

Barnaby loved scratching his back on a big rock and it took Olivia a while to get Barnaby to leave the rock and continue his adventure.

It began to get a bit chilly on the way back so Olivia put his jumper back on. After a lot of cuddles from Olivia Barnaby fell asleep, so mummy carried him home. Our adventure took three and a half hours and when we got back Barnaby was not the only one that fell asleep.

Barnaby might not have loads to write in his Diary but it might be the first time he has appeared in a blog post so that might be fun.