Good Eggs.

So recently we've decided to try and live a bit better, does anyone ever do the opposite?

One of the big things we are focusing on is what we eat, you are what you eat, right? So with this in mind we're trying harder to buy locally, organically and therefore ethically, because if we spend a bit more on some meat we are automatically better people. We think...

In seriousness though, the first time we did this it was pretty surprising. We decided to do breakfast, a proper fry up, bought from local shops. We are really lucky to live in a city where we are spoilt for choice for shops, so I got Lia up, left Katy to have a lie in and me and the bambino went for a walk to the little shopping street 10 minutes away from our house...

We went to the following and bought;

The Butchers
4 x Pork Sausages
2 x Venison & Red Wine Sausage
1 x Black Pudding
8 x Unsmoked Back Bacon.

The Bakers
1 x Large White Loaf

The Health Food Shop
1 x 6 Medium Eggs
1 x 2L Organic Milk

It cost a grand total of £10.50

So I cooked breakfast and we sat and ate and discussed the day ahead, afterwards I was thinking about it, and how we had no wasted left overs, no extra sausages most likely going to go bad in the fridge whilst we try and think of something to use them in. I also wondered how much this would have cost from a supermarket. We live next door to co-op, one of the better, more ethical brands and so we use them for a fair amount of our shopping, they are more expensive though, so how much would this have cost from Tesco? Well I went online today and found out, to get it all from Tesco's own range (no organic, or posh choices) it'd cost £13.10.

Not only did we save £3, (also more if you add on fuel costs or delivery costs for getting to and from a supermarket) but we had an enjoyable hearty organic english breakfast which supported our local shop keepers, and has inspired us to do it more.

We are going to try and use them exclusively this month for all of our fresh foods, I'll try and keep you posted on how it goes!

At long last, an update..

Well, I've been away for ages.. it's pretty hard to find the time between raising a child, loving a woman and working to get on here to right something. I currently have about 6 draft posts that I've started over the last few months and never got around to finishing / posting. 

I'm currently trying to 'be a better person' so this includes stuff like actually do the washing up, hoover, not have an over flowing washing basket, get Lia into a bit of a routine, go for walks, but most importantly eat better. 

Last week we had friends over, two nights in a row, we had Pizza Hut pizza 3 nights in a row.. tut tut tut. Katy's been under the weather for a couple of days now so I took Lia out the other day, we went for a long walk and home via M&S, I bought steak and ancillary items (frittes, beans, mash, greens..) and I was passing through the spices section Turmeric caught my eye, a few days earlier I'd been browsing around the internet aimlessly and found this recipe for Red Pepper and Bacon Risotto by and old school friend, whose blog I've occasionally drifted through. 

Risotto is one of my all time favourite meals, usually at home we'll do a pretty simple chicken and thyme risotto, occasionally I've thrown fried potatoes, butternut squash, lemon, black pudding, sausage, left over christmas dinner... so when a new recipe came along and had 'health benefits' I thought it was well worth giving it a go. 

I love the process of cooking risotto, the way in which your mind just drifts away after the first 10 minutes of just stirring, adding stock, stirring, adding stock, stirring, adding stock... etc.. throw in a bit of background passenger and the kitchen becomes my own little world.

Maybe I was a little timid with the Turmeric, having never cooked with it myself I was slightly anxious, but when I make this again, which I'm sure I will, I will throw in a bigger pinch. 

But thanks to Mikki (myroadaheadblog.blogspot.co.uk and mikaelarobyn.blogspot.co.uk) 

for the inspiration this week, may you continue to share many more! 

In other update news; 

We still have Lia! She's nearly 7 months now, and is crawling backwards like a trooper, any day now she'll lurch forwards (or so we've been saying for a month!) she's loving discovering new foods and drinking water with meals. 

Our wedding date is set, and invitations will start to go out, which is insanely exciting, very soon (or so we've been saying for a month.. noticing a theme!?) 

Our house is nearly done, just 2 more rooms and a corridor to go and I'll get to that really soon (you know what comes here...) 

Anyway, I really should be getting up, but I'll leave you with a few recent photos to give you an idea of what's happening this end... 

clinky clunky cups

Do you ever get those ideas you just know will work, and it's like reaching for something on the very top shelf, you can feel it with your finger tips, and if you kind of stroke a corner of the box you may just edge it down (probably crashing into your face as you dislodge it from the shelf) I am currently experiencing one of these ideas. 

It seems like the more I look into it the more I can make it work, the more we talk about it, the more plausible it sounds. The more I think about it the more I realise it's exactly how I want every bit of my life to be!

Slightly worried I'm a bit too invested and just setting myself up for another 'nearly, better luck next time'

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside..

Am I a bad person? I was so certain I would keep up with writing this to feel like I had some form of creative outlet. Anyway, here I am... 

On Sunday we went to visit Seaton & Beer, a small coastal town in East Devon and an even smaller ancient fishing village, which still is running commercial fishing trips in traditional boats on a daily basis. We went to visit another store in the chain of coffee shops in which I work, as the manager has recently transfered and so creating a vacancy. 

Katy and I both seem to somehow be small town people, strange considering most people rebel from their hometowns, but something must have become firmly routed in us. I feel so much more at home amongst small streets, indie shops, little cafes (odd, seeing as where I work..)

However we had always been quite sure we wanted to stay in Exeter for another couple of years, but I guess there was something about standing just above the beach and looking out across the beautiful coastline that just made us know it was the right thing to do. 

So we are off to view a beautiful 3 bedroom townhouse today, we really shouldn't get excited because it says on the listing that they might not be keen on having a baby there, but I'm hoping she'll like us to much, and our enthusiasm for the house and village will make her buckle and let us in with good grace, if not we'll try to bribe her with decorating work, new kitchens and more money. 

Since I first saw the house it's been so easy to picture friends popping in, local Beer families nipping to the shop and calling in for tea on the way back, people watching from the bay window in the living room which over looks the high street, having family and friends coming to stay for weekends for devon holidays by the sea, and one day in a few years time, having another little sprog to fill all the bedrooms. 

It feels like I'm on the brink of our future, it feels like this is where we will be a family, make memories, buy our first home, start a small business, make ever lasting friends, and spend more time seeing the beautiful ones we have dotted around the country. I really hope it works out! 

Just to prove I'm not making it sound better than it is, here's (someone else's) photo of what sits at the bottom of fore street (the road the house is on)...

Who wants to visit?

Sunny Sunday of Vintage Books & Shabby Drawers.

Hello all, 

I thought I'd take this oppurtunity of my two top girls sleeping on the sofa in front of QI on a sunny Sunday evening to just give you all a small update on what's going down, down here.. 

As some of you might know, and others may not, I recently started collecting the old fashioned ladybird books, I saw them several months ago at a car boot and they instantly took me back to being little and gazing at the pictures, I bought a couple for 20p each and later my Mother saw them on one of her visits. She told me how they also reminded her of her childhood, and as I was about to enter fatherdom I thought about how nice it would be to have a collection for Lia, to one day come across and get that same feeling. SO, for a few weeks I dug through car boot sale boxes of books and charity shop bookcases trying to find cheap nice copies. But the other night curiosity got the better of me and I decided just to see what the value was for one of these old books, so I could be sure I wasn't being over charged, I found a specialist website for ladybird books which had a feature where you could type in some of the details from your copy and it would give you the value. The collection you see in the photo cost me no more £15 to date, two of my books are worth £45 each, and also that sellers wanted them, and many others in the region of £15 - £30. I have decided not to sell, if now I have a collection worth a few hundred pounds imagine what a gift it'll be for my daughter, if ever she did decide to sell it...

Other books that are upon my vintage library shelf include some 1950's Beatrix Potter books and Observer Guides.. Plus a few less well known children's stories published by F. Warne & Co (who published Beatrix Potter's delightful children's stories, they really did have an eye for good classic stories) There are also reference books on Growing Herbs, The History of London to the 'current day' (which was.. 1920) and a book of compiled essays on Shakespeare. 

And moving on... 

I have also today finished this little set of drawers, it's hard to gage the size of them, but they basically stand somewhere just below my knee, they are a lovely piece I just don't know where they'll live. I have distressed these further than I usually go, but I am quite happy with the result. They've been painted in my usual Nutshell Organic Paint, which is produced down the road and is entirely free of unnatural and harmful products. The Gold trim around the bottom is another locally produced paint by a different company which I've been meaning to try for ages. I think it has created a lovely finish and I'm really looking forward to using them again, also a nice little fact is unlike many paints which are acrylic, chalk etc based this one is milk! and I don't even like milk...

So I'll leave this there, I apologise to those who are only interested in this blog for stories about Lia, but I want to keep some aspect of my blog about me! But I have included a photo for you! Here she is in her Aunty Gloria's arms... (yesterday)

Week 3.

So, as absolutely expected somewhere between the birth of my child and working a full time job whilst trying to also maintain some aspect of previous hobbies and start planning a possible business venture this blog has been slightly neglected. But I'm here now, and what else do you expect me to talk about other than Lia, who arrived safely at 00:19 on 25th April, and well, a fair bit has happened since then.

There are so many things that you are told, read or just believe before you have a baby but then the moment it's happening all of that just vanishes. The fear they put in you about co-sleeping, they pretty much make it out that if she touches the bed when we're in that's it we might as well order the coffin now. I think since she's been alive she's spent one night out of our bed (this was the first, when we both hadn't slept for more than a few hours each in a 72 hour period and so thought it best to try and get some solid sleep in (ha. as if that happpened)

The scheduled feeding times, the hourly gaps on different stages of her growth - babies get hungry, feed them, it's pretty simple. Why the NHS insist on giving you times you should feed because it builds the habit is just bollocks. Do what you feel is right and natural. Baby knows best. 

Do you have those days where you arrive to work and just feel like you don't want to be there? Like you'd genuinely rather be at home cleaning out the shed and cleaning out the under sink cupboard you want to be there so little, well if you've had one of those days before, imagine it again, times it by 1000 and it still isn't in the same league as the first day back after having a baby. Something I thought would ease with time, but every day I walk out the front door, I feel so alone for about 10 hours before I come back and see my family sitting on the sofa ready for bed. Every bit of me screams for me to quit work and find a way to spend every passing moment with my child as she grows, but every bit of my knows I need to work to support her. The biggest incentive for me to stay just happens to be the only reason I want to leave. She's a clever girl, has me wrapped around her little finger (and my god are her fingers little) already. 

When you become a Dad there's one thing you should be prepared for, people are no longer interested in what you've done at the weekend, what you'll be doing that evening or really how you are in general. Your conversations will revolve around your child's health, how often they cry, sleep, eat, poo, wee... Your partner's health, how often she sleeps, if she's lost the weight, how is she feeling, is she still knackered. Occasionally you'll be asked how you are, but this'll be the last question and they are for more likely to be thinking about your baby than you're predictable reply of 'yeah, I'm alright, pretty tired but think I'm Blah blah blah blah blah baby blah blah her little smiles and sneezes blah blah'

The hardest experience of all though is watching the person you love go through labour. Watching someone scream with pain, hit walls of dispair and cry and howl is so harrowing just think know, and really take it in, NOTHING you do will prepare you for that, no matter how often you watch one born every minute, or, don't just stand there, you wont feel it until you are there, the whole labour process though is good for translating across to those first nights with your baby she lies in your arms screaming, little red face all scrunched up and big weepy eyes occasionally opening to look at you, and you have no idea why she's crying, you can't make her stop. the patting on the back is doing nothing and everything you've seen other parents do has jumped from your head. you're on your own.

But eventually, the crying does cease, these tired little just off blue eyes open up and gaze in to yours and a sign of relief and silence falls across you and you look into this raw beauty that loves you without knowing you and you love without knowing. Her head bounces on your chest in beat with your breathing and it feels like you are alone in the world, living only for this moment. You look at the clock, 2 hours have passed since you got in to bed, you close your eyes and focus on the way her hands grap at your finger and you notice the skip in her breath as she inhales, and starts to scream all over again. Have a good night!

My Questions..

My Questions. 

So how it works is that you are tagged and answer a set of questions given to you by your tagger. Then you choose  your favourite bloggers, and you give them a new list of questions to answer, and then they choose eleven of their favourites, and so on and so forth.

1. If you had to describe your life in the title of a film or song which would you pick and why?
2. Who do you feel has had the greatest impact on your life so far, you can say up to three, again, why?
3. Your favourite recipe is.... 
4. What is the next big life goal you want to complete? 
5. The best gift you ever received was from ____ and it was ___ (fill in the blanks)
6. Your favourite memory with us both in was? "That time...."
7. If you could teach my soon to be daughter one lesson it'd be.. 
8. Where is 'your happy place'?
9. The moment you looked at your life and felt 'proud' was just after you _____ 
10. The last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt was because... 
11. If you could go back in the last 5 years and change something what advice would you give yourself?