Deck the halls with bows of holly.....

I know some people prefer not to decorate their home for Christmas until closer to the big day and I fully understand why people hold this view, however I have always loved decorating the house and getting all festive. So as soon as I turned the calendar from November to December, it was time to get trimming.

We set aside the afternoon yesterday, put on a Christmas music CD and spent I can honestly say a lovely afternoon trimming up the house. My daughter for the first time helped mummy to decorate the tree and what a natural she was, putting the bigger baubles on the bottom whilst mummy did the smaller ones at the top. She was so excited when we turned on the lights and kept saying Merry Christmas.

Once the house was looking festive, I prepared beef in red wine with vegetables for everyone (well not the red wine for my 2 1/2 year old).

I know some of you may think I am slightly mad wanting the house decorated on December 1st, but I think when you have had such bad times in your life you want to grab the good times with both hands and really enjoy them and believe me that's what I intend to do this year.

My time of year

Some people love the summer with its long warm days, but not me this is my time of year. You probably think I am mad as we have long dark nights and lets be honest it is freezing, but there is something magical about this season and all it has to offer.

I love the seasonal events such as Halloween, Bonfire Night and of course everything that Christmas brings. I love winter clothes and wrapping up warm on a Sunday afternoon stroll, before coming home to a hot chocolate in front of the fire.

But most of all I love preparing the house for Christmas ready to welcome friends and family, cooking the Christmas treats, choosing presents for my loved ones and watching my little one as she becomes excited about Christmas lights, decorations and the visit from the man in the red coat.

If you come over to my house in the weeks that lie ahead, you will probably find me with my pinny on covered in flour or some other ingredients or glitter on my face as my daughter and I make Christmas cards, but do you know I would not have it any other way.

It's just magical.

Christmas present challenge

I love the challenge of thinking of what to buy my loved ones each year. I started my Christmas shopping a couple of weeks ago and have already purchased presents for all the little people in my life.

It's now time to get creative and think of some great gifts for the grown ups.

I thought I would share with you two great sites I have come across this week which have brilliant gift ideas:

http://www.bahhumbugs.com/

I love their sweet hampers, great if you are looking for something a bit retro.

http://www.stgeorgesday.com/shop/gifts

A great site for those who love all things English, check out the wine section.

If anyone has any other gift ideas or websites to share please feel free to post them.

Here comes summer

It has been wonderful this weekend having such glorious weather and being able to get into the garden. I have just planted some bedding plants into the boarders, the sunflower and tomato seeds are growing at an incredible rate and the whole garden is suddenly coming to life.

I love to go out into the garden early evening and look at how things are changing and growing, I find it so relaxing and peaceful being outside in our garden, it is our piece of tranquility.

In the Night Garden....

As we settled down to watch Cbeebies last night during the bedtime hour, I was intrigued to watch the new programme In the Night Garden....

My daughter loved it especially as one of the characters shares the same name (don't worry it's not Makka Pakka).

The characters are unique, colourful and fun I especially love the Tombliboos.

If you have not seen it, take a look I think you will like it.

If anyone knows anywhere I could buy toys from the programme please let me know, I know my daughter would love one.

Playing nurse

Since 11.45pm on Sunday evening I have been playing nurse to my little girl. We put her to bed as usual on Sunday evening and she seemed fine and just as I was dropping off to sleep I heard a noise, my husband and I ran into her room and she had been sick all in her bed. She was so upset.

We cleaned her down and sat her on our bed to comfort her. She was sick again all over our bed this time. After several changes of clothes and lots of cuddles she settled down again.

All day Monday she was sick and developed an awful cough.

On Tuesday the cough got worse and her temperature was raised. She was very sleepy and confused, so I took her to the doctor. He examined her and told me she had an upper tract infection, her ear drums were inflamed and bulging and that would be causing the other problems. So now she has some "yellow medicine" as she describes it and she has improved slightly, but the medicine has now given her diarrhoea.

Poor little girl, she is so tired and weak, it's awful seeing her like this. I cannot wait until she is running around making lots of noise. Hope you feel better soon x

Mother but no baby

Warning, this blog may contain a lot of moaning.

I went to the supermarket today as usual with my daughter, to once again find there were no mother and baby parking spaces. I would not mind this if the spaces were genuinely taken up by fellow parents with their little ones. But oh no, week after week, the spaces are filled by beloved old age pensioners and people with disabled badges. Just because they are old they feel they have the right to park wherever they like and the same goes to disabled badge holders, who may I add have their own parking spaces much nearer to the door.

It's not that I am lazy and want to be closer to the door, I just really appreciate the spaces as they are wider which is vital when you are trying to get a child in and out of a car seat.

I have often thought about challenging these selfish people who choose to take our spaces, but I know it would be wasted energy as they think its their god given right to be closer to the door just because they are older than me.

Has anyone else experienced this annoying situation or is it just me? I would love to hear.

Party

Today my daughter went to her first party of the year.

Armed with a beautifully wrapped present, card, my little one all dressed up like a princess and directions in my hand of how to actually get to the venue, off we set. After about ten minutes in the car my daughter fell asleep and was snoring loudly, so I enjoyed some piece and quiet whilst listening to the radio.

I found the venue straight away but arrived a little early so I sat in the car whilst my daughter finished her nap. Luckily she woke up just in time for the start of the party. She insisted on carrying the present, which was nearly as big as her and she became very excited as we entered the Church Rooms. The room was decorated with balloons and banners and a large bouncy castle filled the top end of the hall. There were lots of people there and my daughter was not phased by this and headed straight for the bouncy castle.

The party was only two hours long, but my goodness I was shattered by the end of it. It was great fun watching her with the other children and enjoying herself so much, I even enjoyed having a bounce on the castle with her (I had forgotten what good fun they could be).

On the way out, she was handed a party bag filled with goodies which she was so pleased with. All the way home she talked of the bouncy castle and she could not wait to tell her daddy when he walked through the door.

So one party down and another two to go in March, what a party animal she is.

A great read

During the time we were offline (when the laptop was not working), my friend Eliza lent me "My Take, Gary Barlow".

For those that know me well I loved Take That the first time round and was overjoyed when Take That 2 emerged. Gary was always my favourite member and I was really keen to read his book when Eliza lent it to me.

Believe me I could not put it down, I would grab every opportunity I had to read it.

Gary shows his love for music and the highs and lows of the music industry. He shares his journey from his childhood in Cheshire to life during and after Take That. It is a really honest book, sharing the truth about his relationship with Robbie and his controlling manager Nigel. I also love the personal details he shares about the relationship with his parents, his wife Dawn and the other members of the band, his caring nature really comes to the forefront.

The most shocking part of the book for me was when he was caught up in the July 7th 2005 terrorist attacks (I did shed a tear).

Even if you are not a Take That fan or even a Gary Barlow fan, I would highly recommend this honest book, it's well worth a read.

Thanks to Eliza for lending it to me.

I'm back

Finally, after a couple of weeks of being cut off from the virtual world of the Internet, our laptop has now been fixed and I am back in touch with the rest of the world.

When the laptop first stopped working, I was lost. I could not email my friends, do online shopping, do our online banking and of course write my blog. I felt so frustrated, especially in the evenings when I like to surf (especially when there is nothing on TV) and catch up with the messages and tips on netmums.

However, after a few days I started to think what did we all do before we had the Internet and e-mail? So instead of e-mailing friends I would actually pick up the phone and talk and do you know it was so much nicer. Instead of surfing the web in the evenings I began to read, something I have not done for quite some time. I also found I had so much more time to do things about the house.

The web has become such a big part of everyone's lifestyles that you do forget how you lived your life before it was invented.

Now the laptop is working and we are back online, of course I am pleased as I can keep in touch with my friends easier, but I have found myself not spending quite as much time on it and continuing the activities I had taken up when I did not have it.

It has ended up not being a bad thing that we went without it for a couple of weeks as it has made me rediscover other things I love.

Out of action

Just to let you all know in case you have been wondering as to the cause of my recent inaction on the blogging front - I have been having difficulty accessing the web due to my PC having major problems.

I am currently trying to find a solution for this and hope to be back to it ASAP.

Is bigger best?

Having been into town today to visit my local butcher it got me thinking about using local shops versus the big supermarkets.

I have brought all of our meat at our local butchers for nearly two years and I have never been disappointed by the excellent quality. Many people hold the misconception that the meat is more expensive at a butchers, but believe me it isn't, it's either around the same or on many occasions cheaper.

I also really like the fact that the trip to the butchers each week is more personal than the service you receive at a supermarket. It's great to be able to talk to people who have a genuine interest in you and the local area. They take the time out to ask how you are, something which does not happen when you finally reach the till at one of the big stores.

In an attempt to help the local economy and the environment, we also use a milkman and get a number of products from him including eggs, potatoes, bread and fruit juice. I know for a fact the potatoes are from a farm about one mile away and the eggs come from a farm in Leicestershire.

My next mission is to buy our fruit and vegetables from the local greengrocers, I will try this next week when I go into town.

I know that it takes more time to go into several smaller shops rather than one big supermarket where everything is under one roof but the experience is so much nicer and you get the satisfaction of supporting your local economy and environment too.

Do you shop at the supermarket or local smaller shops? I would love to hear your experiences.

Friends and food

The weekend was one of those occasions when you look back and smile with pleasure as you remember happy times. One of those weekends where you take time out to do the things that weekends were made for.

It was wonderful catching up with old friends, sharing our latest news and simply enjoying each other's company.

Our friends were fab hosts and cooked some delicious meals for us. I am looking forward to receiving the recipes from Beth, in particular the ginger cake she made was just fantastic. Natalie's sweet potato soup was divine, really tasty and again I must get the recipe as it is something I would love to cook at home.

Natalie also shared her latest cookery book with me, there is nothing nicer than having a glass of wine whilst flicking through colourful pages of tempting new recipes.

Friends, food and fun... just brilliant.

New Shoes

When I was pregnant with my daughter everyone kept telling me how expensive children are and that we would never have any money. To be honest since she was born apart from the expense of a cot bed, car seat and high chair she really has not been expensive at all.

Mind you I think this could be about to change.

We took her to have her feet measured today and she had grown a whole size from a 3 1/2 to a 4 1/2. We picked some lovely new shoes for her which she was very pleased with and they came to the handsome sum of £25 (my other half is grieving for his thinner wallet as I type).

To be honest I don't mind paying this as her foot had not grown since April and she was overdue for some new shoes. It's when the shop assistant smiles at you as she hands you your purchase and tells you to come in 4-6 weeks for her feet to measured again. Of course it is important that she wears shoes that fit her correctly and her feet are healthy, but at £25 a time it's not for the faint-hearted.

When we got home we put her new shoes in the utility next to her new wellington boots and guess which she wanted to wear - oh yes the wellies that were a fraction of the cost!

Which shops do you buy your children's shoes from?

Do you find that children's shoes are expensive and the shops rely on the fact that they know we will take them there to make sure they have the correct fit and know we will therefore pay the price? Please share your thoughts with me by adding a comment below.

Splish, splash, splosh

Having brought my daughter her very first pair of wellies I quickly thought of a reason why she could wear them and have an opportunity to splash about in the water. Washing the car seemed the perfect activity and one that would help me out too.

Armed with her new pink wellies, coat and hat we grabbed our bucket and sponges and headed towards the car. The minute I put the bucket down she dipped her sponge into the water and copied my every move. She tried so hard and followed me everywhere.

Once we had covered the car in soap suds we filled the bucket with clean water to rinse the car down. My daughter loved this bit and proceeded to stick the sponge under the tap which sprayed both me and her with freezing cold water. She laughed so loudly and said "again, again". We were both soaking, but it really did not matter, I had not laughed so much in ages.

We quickly rinsed the car as it was getting really cold by this stage, especially as my jeans were soaking. As I bent down to pick up the bucket I heard my daughter say "okay mummy, I'm okay". I quickly looked up to see her sitting in a huge puddle of water, splashing it around and laughing. I ran and picked her up, she was soaking through and her trousers were filthy, but she had the biggest smile on her face.

I hugged her tight and although it was only midday it seemed the right time for her to have a nice warm bath and a clean change of clothes.

So she had a whole morning of splish, splash, splosh, I got a clean car, a load more washing to do, but we both had a smile on our faces by the time daddy came home.

Party

My daughter is approaching her second birthday in a couple of months' time as are her friends. My husband and I have been chatting this week about how we are going to celebrate her birthday, we want to make it extra special this year as there were no celebrations at all last year as my brother died the day before her first birthday.

Where do you hold the party - i.e. is my house big enough for her friends and their parents? What food do you have? Do you have a party theme? Is she too young for games? The list can go on and on but after a chat over a glass of wine we have planned her party and told her all about it and she seems very excited.

When we came home today from our weekly music class there was some post on the mat for my daughter. We opened the envelope together with anticipation and I saw it was a party invitation for her friend's birthday in March. I told her what it was and she took it repeating over and over again "party". The smile on her face was just priceless.

At present she has two party invitations in March and her own in April so she is going to be a toddler socialite! Mind you she deserves it, she has been a light in all our lives over the past nine months and it is time to build some happy memories for us all. So "PARTY!"

Ladies who lunch

Today I met two old work colleagues and friends for lunch. My mum was off work today and kindly offered to look after my daughter so I could meet them.

I must say it was quite strange getting into the car without her as she is always by my side. I felt lost to be honest, I missed our little conversations and found myself glancing into the back seat thinking she would be sitting there.

After a long drive I met my friends and it was so great to see them. We went to a lovely Italian restaurant and the menu was superb. We had a good catch up and I really enjoyed it, but there were times when I would catch myself thinking about my daughter and wondering if she was being a good girl for grandma, what she was having for her lunch and I really did miss her.

After a great time we said our goodbyes and I headed home really excited to see my little girl. When I arrived home I could hear her and my mum laughing together and as I walked into the lounge they were playing and my daughter did not even noticed I had arrived, bless her.

It was so good to see her and my mum said she had been a real angel the whole time and when I asked my daughter if she had a nice time, she said "Ma, nice, arrr"

Grantham Gingers

For the first time in 2007 I flicked through my latest cookbook Around Britain Dairy Cookbook, looking for something that my daughter and I could make on a wet and windy day. It was definitely a day to be indoors, especially as the strong winds blew off our shed roof!

I came across a recipe for Grantham Gingers and quickly scanned the ingredients list to see if I had everything. Luckily I had so I quickly weighed everything out whilst my daughter finished drawing her picture. Once I was prepared she came running into the kitchen and pulled her apron out of her Tweenies desk, ready for action.

We had a great time and the biscuits were so easy to make, it is an activity that I would highly recommend to do with toddlers. My daughter was interested in it the whole time and even got excited when the oven alarm went off as she knew they were ready. "Discuits mummy, discuits", she said as she climbed off the sofa and headed for the kitchen.

The end result was just great and so far everyone who has tried them really likes them.

Mine only criticism of the recipe is that the taste of ginger in the biscuits is a little bit too subtle for my taste so I would add more if I made them again.

I hope when my daughter is older and she looks back on her childhood she remembers these days we have shared together and believe me I will never lose the image of her with flour all over her slippers, an apron long enough to be a dress and the biggest warmest smile.

Do you have any memories of cooking when you were a child? What did you like to cook? I would love to hear.

What is your favourite cookbook?

As you can see from the right hand side of the page, my favourite cookbooks are the Quick and Easy Dairy Cookbook and Around Britain Dairy Cookbook. I love the recipes and the useful information it provides such as the fat content of the meal per serving and the amount of calories. They also use ingredients that you do have in your cupboard and not ones you have never heard of.

We all have our favourite books where the pages are usually stuck together with flour or butter and I would love to hear what your favourite cookbooks are and why you like them.

Just click on the word comments at the bottom of this article and share your favourites.

Freezes!

As I was preparing breakfast this morning, my daughter grabbed her winter hat and decided to put it on. She looked very amusing in her pyjamas and a pink hat. She went into the dining room ready for breakfast and stood next to her high chair as she tends to do, waiting for me to lift her up.

As I put her into the chair I suggested that the hat should come off. "No mummy," she said "it's freezes". I could not help but smile. If you looked at her you would think the central heating had broken down.

So rather than argue, she ate her entire breakfast wearing her pyjamas and hat...very stylish.

Perfect pork

I invited my parents for Sunday lunch today and faced the daunting task of cooking the biggest piece of pork loin I had ever seen, which was given to me by my dad. To be honest I had not cooked a joint of this size before, well apart from the 16lb turkey on Christmas Day so I was a bit worried about how long I should cook it for.

To try and prevent the joint from becoming dry, I decided to drizzle olive oil over the meat and then trickled honey over the top of it. Before I put it in the oven I chopped up two eating apples and place them on top of the pork.

I put the meat into the oven on 180 degrees for two-and-a-half hours and it was just perfect. It was very tender and had a subtle flavour of honey which was yummy. I also served the meat with the apples which were very soft and accompanied the meat perfectly.

The pork was served with roast potatoes, roast parsnips, steamed brussel sprouts, carrots and savoy cabbage. There is quite a large piece of pork left so I plan to use this for sandwiches tomorrow with stuffing. Yum yum.

Thank you

I have been blogging now for just over a week and can honestly say I am really enjoying jotting down my thoughts and daily experiences. I apologise if I have ranted some days to you all or been a bit down beat when sharing my grief with you after losing my brother. I hope over the days and weeks ahead my blog will develop and allow me to share my thoughts with you but also some domestic goddess tips. Being a domestic goddess is something I aspire to and not something I already think I am. I hope that people take my blog as it's intended - not a massage of my ego - just a bit of fun, which I hope you will enjoy.

I would like to say a big thank you to all of the positive comments I have received about my blog from fellow mums on the Netmums website and friends. It is so nice to hear that people enjoy reading my blog, so please share your comments or thoughts with me.

A happy day

Today I have received some very good news about a dear friend, she e-mailed me to tell me that her test results we had all been waiting for were fine and it was not the illness we were all dreading it would be. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am for her. I know she has been through a tremendous emotional journey over the past few weeks and I will certainly be having a glass of wine or two for her this evening.

Besides this wonderful news I have had a lovely day with my daughter. Today was the first day back at her Jo Jingles class. She was so excited and really enjoyed learning some new songs. I love sitting back watching her mix with other children and learning new skills. The funniest moment was when her best friend came up to her at the end of the session and gave her a hug, as he went to walk away with his mummy he turned to my daughter and said "goodbye darling". It was so cute and funny at the same time. What a happy day.

Wet play

Like most mothers and fathers up and down the country, my daughter and I were restricted to spending the day indoors because of the dreadful weather. So I had to get my creative hat on and plan a day of activities for us to do, so that we did not overdose on CBeebies and drive each other crazy.

After breakfast I set up the kitchen and taped pieces from an old roll of lining paper to the floor and set out paint, crayons etc. I put my daughter into her painting apron and let her get creative. She loved it, she told me she was painting a cat, a car and Po from the Teletubbies . She then asked me to paint certain things for her which she loved watching. We had great fun and after about an hour the activity had run its course. I noticed that even though she was wearing a long apron she had still managed to cover her entire feet in paint. So once we had tidied everything away I ran a bath for her, gave her lots of toys and she played happily in the bath.

To be honest when I woke this morning and saw how awful the weather was and knew we would not be able to go to the park or for a walk, I was dreading the day. But when her daddy returned home from work and she said to him "painting, mummy, nice" I knew she had obviously enjoyed the day as she then showed him her works of art.

She is now safely tucked up in bed and as I reflect on the day, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed our time at home, painting, reading, playing games and simply enjoying each other's company. It is moments like this that I know I made the right decision to be a full-time mum and I feel proud that I made this decision. Women these days are not praised for being mothers, there is an immediate expectation for them to return to work after six months of maternity leave and continue with their careers.

The thing that saddens me the most is that it is my generation of women that look down their noses at mothers who choose to stay at home, thinking we are not challenged, ambitious or intelligent. I say to them spend a whole day with a toddler and you will have the biggest challenge of your life.

Let's Get Physical

I have just returned from my first fitness class of the New Year in the annual attempt to shed those extra pounds gained over Christmas. Why do we all do it to ourselves every Christmas? Why do we over eat and then spend the first part of the New Year trying to lose the excess weight?

When my friend and I arrived we were greeted with a new teacher, a younger lady with a fab figure, the kind of figure I would love to have and dream about. To be honest though I like having this new teacher, as it’s a good incentive to work hard in the class, as if I do one day I may look like her (I can dream can't I).

I really enjoyed the session although it was very hard in parts and I could feel the extra weight on my stomach as I did the exercises (not a nice image I know). Hopefully after a couple of weeks of attending my class I should be back to normal.

I feel really tired now and think an early night is in order, so I am fresh ready to face a new day.

Night, night everyone.

Domestic Goddess for the Future

I had to share this with you all. Here is a photograph of my daughter's very own Little Henry vacuum cleaner which amazingly picks up dirt.

My daughter really loves this toy which my parents brought for her at Christmas. She potters around the lounge pretending to clean which is lovely to watch. However, the added bonus of her own 'Henry' is she loves pretending to vacuum when I am doing it. When I go to the cupboard under the stairs to get out my cleaner she grabs her 'Little Henry' and follows me around the house. It is a magical sight and keeps her occupied whilst I clean. So thank you to mum and dad for buying such a cool present and in helping to create a domestic goddess for the future.

Sunday Roast

Sunday is one of my favourite days of the week. Sunday to me means time with my other half and daughter, relaxing at home and of course a roast dinner.

I have always enjoyed Sunday lunch probably because my mum makes the best one and we have grown up enjoying time around the table eating good food and catching up with each others news. This is a tradition I want my daughter to grow up with, I think this time as a family is so important and special.

Today I have cooked roast beef, with roast potatoes, steamed leeks, brussel sprouts and carrots, Yorkshire puddings and gravy.

If anyone were to ask me what my top tips would be for a roast dinner it would be:

(1) To make the perfect roast potatoes, boil them for around 15 minutes and when draining them rough them up in the colander. Before putting them into hot oil, (I tend to use olive oil but on special occasions I use dripping) sprinkle some flour onto the potatoes this helps to make them lovely and crispy. Make sure the fat is really hot before putting your potatoes into the tin. If you want to add a Mediterranean flavour to your roast potatoes put about four whole garlic cloves into the roasting tin.

(2) Steam your vegetables if possible as it helps to keep the flavour and goodness.

(3) Always have a glass of wine at hand to help the chef when cooking. :0)

Anyway, the meal was well received and there is even some beef left for my other half to have on his sandwiches with horseradish sauce for work.

I am off now for another Sunday must, a brisk walk around the village to walk off that extra roast potato. Happy Sunday.

Looking Good

The trip to the shops was a very successful one. I managed to get some lovely new clothes and a pretty necklace and earring set (which my mum treated me to, aren't mums just lovely). I really enjoyed my time in town and it was the first time since my brother died that I actually felt like my old self.

I have just been organising my wardrobe like all domestic goddesses do and put my items into the appropriate colour section...oh yes all of my clothes go into colour order, it makes them so much easier to find. My scarfs and handbags have their own wicker baskets and shoes are paired neatly on the shoe rack. I have also taken out some clothes which I have had for years and never wear and are probably very out of fashion. I will take these to the charity shop on Monday.

It will be great to put on some new clothes and start to dress like a woman again, even if I am not going out that day, I think it's important to still make an effort.

Anyway, all in all a very productive day but do you know what the best thing of all was....spending time with my mum, it was magic.

Image is Everything

I have been thinking for some time now that I may act like a domestic goddess but do I actually look like one. When I look at the curvaceous well presented Nigella and the immaculately dressed Anthea it kind of puts me to shame. I must admit since giving birth to my daughter it has taken me a while to lose the baby weight (which I am pleased to say I have now done) and I have not really smartened up my image since leaving work. I do tend to find myself in jeans most of the time especially if I am going to various toddler groups, but is this really the image of a domestic goddess? Surely I should put more effort into the way I look and dress in a more feminine way.

I am not saying that I should dress up in high heels and dresses to do the cleaning but I think it is time to address the way I look and take more pride in my appearance. I bet Nigella does not wear baggy grey tracksuit bottoms around the house.

So I am now on mission to look like a true goddess. Tomorrows task is a trip to the shops to purchase a few new items of clothing with my dear mum in hand for some shopping advice. Then its back to aerobics in the week to tone up and a hairdressers appointment is booked for one weeks time.

Surely I too can look as gorgeous as the domestic goddesses portrayed to us on TV....well nearly as good!

Christmas is Over

Christmas finally came to an end for me today as I took down the tree, put the lights neatly into their box and took down the holly from the pictures and fire place. The house looks so bare and sad, it almost feels empty. To be honest I am pleased Christmas is over and I never imagined I would say that as someone who has always loved Christmas and all its festivities.

This Christmas was different to all the rest, it was the first without my brother. For those reading this who don't know me, he died suddenly in April aged just twenty years. For me this year Christmas mearly emphasized that he is not here and god does that harsh reality hurt.

I have been in a very reflective mood today thinking about the year that has gone and the one that lies ahead. Fearing the unknown and wondering whether a date for his inquest will ever be set.

In true domestic goddess style I have thrown my energy, upset and anger into my house work and gave it a good new years clean. Even my daughter helped and we ended up having quite a giggle.

So now I am sitting in not so much an empty and bare room but a room which is clean and ready to face whatever this year throws at me.

Domestic Goddess?

For many years now (well since I have been married which is five now) friends and family keep telling me I am a domestic goddess. I always feel very flattered by this comment especially if it comes after I have made a meal for everyone, it makes me feel happy that people enjoy the time at our home.

To be honest I have not given the idea of being a domestic goddess much thought until recently, but more and more people keep giving this title to me. It struck me that maybe I am one when I was watching Nigella and Anthea over Christmas, as they shared their pearls of wisdom about how to run an orderly home - I thought well I do that all of the time and in fact I thought some of my ideas were better. The only difference between us is they get paid a fortune for doing it and I just get the satisfaction knowing that our home is run as best as it can be.

So what is a domestic goddess? When I type the name into Google it lists websites devoted to Nigella and her books, it does not really tell me what a domestic goddess is. So I think I will make up my own definition, so here goes. I think a domestic goddess is someone who can run an orderly home, they are domesticated and enjoy every aspect of maintaining a home.

There I think that sounds ok.

As I now have a definition of what a domestic goddess is and the name has been given to me by friends and family, I think I will share my pearls of wisdom, tips and advice on all things domestic with the world. Watch out Anthea!