Top 5 tips for a cold and wet summer's afternoon ....

No 5 Painting

This always goes down well in our house. Today ice creams were on the 'menu' - the card is for my mum's birthday tomorrow (we live in hope for some sun), the streak down the cone actually does look like the ice cream's melting (unintentional but great effect!)

No 4 Curl up on the sofa and watch a movie with popcorn

We've not got to this stage yet - Maia would sit through a movie now but I don't think Cassia would. As for the popcorn? Well I thought flapjack was enoungh for one day!

No 3 Bake (you'll soon see a theme here - Unhappy? Bake! Raining? Bake! Bored? Bake! ......)
This brings to mind a peaceful family scene with mum and daughters together in the creation of something delicious to eat - maybe a little splodge of mix here and a smile there. Reality? It usually ends up quite stressful, lots of mess, me not quite so angelic and just hurrying to get the damn thing in the oven - not to even mention the clearing up! However, the end result is always worth it. Today a new recipe Sticky Date and Orange Flapjack. Found this under a pile of paper on the workbench not sure where it came from but sounded lovely.

No 2 Dancing

I actually had a thermal on today I was that cold but after a bit (or actually a lot) of dancing with the girls I've warmed up. Today's listening? Well, it's never to early to introduce them to such songs as 'Son of a Preacher Man'/Bobby Gentry, followed by 'Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)'/Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. This led me onto the Steve Harley Greatest Hits and 'Here Comes the Sun' (forever the optimist) and currently The Clash/London Calling. I have a much older sister and brother so was into music way before my time and have a eclectic music taste as a result. In my school days I was the only 7 year old who had watched Top of the Pops the night before!

Photo not really appropriate!

No 1 Snuggled up in bed with a good book (my personal favourite)

Since children this doesn't really happen but I was just there! Cassia had just woken up and wanted feeding so I crawled back into bed with her - and very happy we were too. I could hear Maia running amok upstairs but wasn't concerned, it was only when I heard the alarm going for the flapjack that I thought I had better get up! Let's hope it was worth it.

Now, if children weren't in the mix I could very easily have spent the day at the sewing machine but as they say 'patience is a virtue'!