Thursday 29 September 2016

Deliveroo with Pizza Express

Pizza Express has to be my all time favourite pizza restaurant, so I'm thrilled that they are on Deliveroo and that we live in a Deliveroo area! 

Deliveroo have partnered with Pizza Express to bring you the exclusive 'Enta' pizza. The 'Etna' was dropped from the restaurant menu last year, but it's back via popular demand but via Deliveroo only! Andy loves a fiery pizza so he was thrilled to get to try this!

We decided to give this a test out on Tuesday night as we had both forgotten to get food out the freezer for tea and fancied treating ourselves once the boys were in bed! Although Freddie decided he wanted in on the pizza party and woke up just before the pizzas arrived!


Ordering was so easy! Once your account is set up you click the restaurant, then add the items you want to your basket and then pay! The app also gives you a countdown as to how long your order will be! You can also follow your order once it's been picked up via a map to see how far away from you it is! You can also leave delivery instructions. This was very handy for us as our street has no road so to be able to leave instructions saying how to access our street was brilliant and not many delivery companies offer this! 


When I placed our order at half past six the wait time was twenty five minutes and at ten to seven the Deliveroo driver rang our doorbell! The pizzas were hot! The 'Etna' was yummy, and certainly lived up to its name as I had to drink a glass of juice! 


This was the first time we had tried the Deliveroo service and I found it so easy to order from via the iPad app! There are two other local restaurants on the Deliveroo service so I am sure we will use the service again! 


To order your 'Etna' pizza either log onto Deliveroo by either the mobile app or visit www.deliveroo.co.uk. You can also order via www.pizzaexpress.com

Disclaimer: We were credited on our Deliveroo account to try this service and compensated for our time writing this post. All words and images are our own!
www.pizzaexpress.com

Sunday 25 September 2016

Freddie at Ten Months

My darling little Freddie how can you be ten months old already! Your first birthday is only eight weeks away! 

This month has been a good one. You have learned how to army crawl and are so quick at pulling yourself around our lounge! You can also move your infant to toddler rocker around the lounge! 

You are in size 4+ nappies, taking 6oz bottles four times a day but depending on what time you wake up some days you will have five bottles, plus three meals! You eat the same as the rest of us on an evening, but I always mush up and freeze extra so there is always something for your lunch or a night we are eating something brown together! 

You were an absolutely dream on our first big trip away as a family of four! We took the coach to London then a train out to Surrey to see your grandparents on your daddy's side. You were absolutely brilliant on the coach eating and drinking and of course sleeping! You were a little bit unsettled the first night we were away and poor mummy ended up sleeping on the sofa with you on my chest. 

You have said your first word this month too! And it was mum mum! If daddy or anyone says to you where's mummy you look straight to me and grin! I tried to go to the shop without you one day and you started crying and shouting mum mum! Mum mum! So I had to take you me! You have also started trying to walk when you are held up on your feet! It's so strange you doing this at turning ten months as James was doing this at seven months and then started walking days after he turned ten months! 

You have really been missing your big brother since he has started school! The first day he was back you woke up at quarter to seven and then didn't go back to sleep till we finished baby social at half past 11 and we were picking James up! You then slept for two hours! The second week of term we had to pick him up at half past one and you were normally napping then so daddy who was on holiday that week was doing the pick ups while I stayed at home with you sleeping! James has been interacting with you a lot more, which has been so lovely to watch. 

We had a massive thunderstorm which first woke up mummy and daddy, then it woke up you and finally it woke up your brother. We were all huddled in one bed for a while till daddy took you downstairs so me and James could get some sleep before I took him to school. It was so lovely to hear James comforting you. 

We need to find a new normal now James is in school from nine am till quarter past three. We have our two groups on a Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Sadly once you turn one we will have to find a new group for a Tuesday as you will be too old for baby social. You have made a lot of lovely little friends who you love playing with, but I think your big brother is still your favourite person to play with!  

James has already started looking at toys in Tesco for your birthday and Christmas! He wants to get you a dumper truck so you and him can play trucks together! 

Till next month my little bear, I love you so much

Mummy 
xxx







Friday 16 September 2016

School Week Two

So week two at school is over! The first day of the half one pick up was so odd and I did find myself clock watching a little bit to see what time it was for pick up as I was so used to the 1200 pick up from nursery last year! I have had to remind myself after my groups to go home as I would normally have just waited around till pick up time. 

The full class of thirty have been in this week and James has made a lot of new friends! I was worried about how he would cope with the noise and his ears. He seems to be doing ok, but both his teacher and the TAs know the signs to look for if they causing him problems. He has started leaving me in either at classroom door or even one day left me in cloakroom! I'm hoping this will progress to him leaving me in the yard as the school are wanting reception to do independent entry from after October half term holiday. 

We are still struggling to get an interest in his reading book or his key words. I know he is the youngest, but it's such a struggle to even get him to look at his school stuff.

I think it's been a pretty successful week on a school meals point. He has not been coming home at half one wanting food. I think because Newcastle City Council have the rolling menu online I can tell him what there is so he knows what to expect. 

He has been absolutely exhausted with the half one finish so I am fully expecting lots of tears from tiredness on the full days pick ups. I will be attaching the buggy board back onto the pram to get him home quicker. Poor boy has been asleep by half seven at the latest and slept till at least half six every morning although Thursday it was after seven when he woke up! It was after half seven again on Friday morning, but I think that was more due to the disturbed night he had had with a massive thunderstorm waking us all up and keeping us up for a good couple of hours.

We have had a lot of tears after school due to pure exhaustion! Its been an extra two hours from the first week. Next week will be a full day with a three fifteen finish. So I am fully prepared for an exhausted little boy!

I am really stumped for ideas for an after school snack though for next week as we normally don't have our tea till about five o'clock and reception are taken to have their school lunch at twelve. James does like apples, but not the skin! So any ideas please let me know! 

Wednesday 14 September 2016

The Great North Snow Dogs




In 2015 London and Bristol held a Shaun the Sheep Trail with brightly decorated models of the Aardman Animations character dotted all over the cities, which were then auctioned off to raise money for sick children in the United Kingdom. These trails were both organised by the Wallace and Grommet Foundation.


Birmingham also did a tail in 2015 , there's was called the "Big Hoot", which saw brightly coloured owls dotted all over the city which were again auctioned off this time to benefit Birmingham Children's Hospital.


Now in 2016 the Great North Snow Dog trail has been launched! 

This sees 97 brightly decorated models of the Snow Dog from the Snowman and the Snow Dog story being dotted across the North East!

Funds raised from the project will go to support the work of St Oswald's Children's Hospice, who care for children and young people with life limiting conditions.

There are two trails running: The Big Dog Trail runs from 19th September 2016 till 29th November 2016 and the Little Dog Trail runs from 19th September 2016 till 20th January 2017.

I am hoping to attempt to do at least the Little Dog Trail with my boys on weekends as now James has started full time school weekends are the only time we will have together as a family. 

The Little Dog trail has been designed with public transport in mind, so they are easily accessible. 

Below is the Little Trail Map via Public transport. I'm sorry about the quality as I had to scan it!


The locations I have for the Little Trail are as follows with the nearest transport in brackets!:
1 Blue Reef Aquarium (Cullercoats)
2 Eldon Garden (Monument)
3. Fenwick (Monument)
4 Jesmond Dene Visitors Centre (Jesmond)
5 Newcastle City Library (Monument)
6 Seven Stories (Manors)
7 The Biscuit Factory (Manors)
8 Gateshead Leisure Centre (Gateshead)
9 Gateshead Central Library (Gateshead)
10 Sage Gateshead (Gateshead)
11 Trinity Square (Gatehead)
12 Galleries Shopping Centre (Bus from Heworth)
13 National Glass Centre (St Peter's)
14 The Bridges (Sunderland)
15 Sunderland Winter Gardens (Sunderland)
16 Sunderland Minister (Sunderland)
17 Empire Cinema, Sunderland (Sunderland)
18 Washington Arts Centre (Bus from Heworth)

Please let me know if you do either the Big or Little Trail as I would love to feature some photographs here on the Blog!

I know I will have my first Snow Dog sport next week as I will be at Sage Gateshead for a concert!

Shaun in the city logo from www.shauninthecity.org.uk
Big Hoot Logo from www.thebighoot.co.uk
Great Snow Dog Logo from www.greatsnowdogs.co.uk


Sunday 11 September 2016

The first week of school

So the first week of reception class is over, James has been in half days this week 9-1130 and he's really surprised me, we have had no tears on drop off, he's been going in happy and smiling! He was a little clingy on the first day but as soon as he got into his classroom and saw his friends he soon cheered up and went and sat down!


Day two he came home with his first reading book, his reading record and his first set of words to learn. I was pretty shocked at these coming home on day two! I thought they would maybe give them a couple of weeks to settle down, but I can see they want to get the kids started on their learning straight away.

Day three and we got our first accident form! Yep James and one of his little friends managed to run into each other outside and bang heads! They had also baked some biscuits which they then decorated and brought home on Friday! 


There has only been half a class in each morning, with the other half in on the afternoons. Week two however all the children will be in each morning till half past one, meaning James will get his first experience of school meals. Last year in nursery, they stayed and had a Christmas lunch at school, which James seemed to like, so I'm hoping seeing his friends having school meals might help his fussy eating.


James has been coming home shattered every afternoon and he's been in bed and asleep by half seven most nights. I know this week he will be exhausted due to the extra time hey are in.

He has not been very interested in his reading book or looking at his words, I'm putting this down to him being so young compared to rest of the class. Some of his friends were the age he is now when they started nursery last year. So if anyone has any tips on helping him learn to read please share them! I have already picked up some fab advice from fellow bloggers! 

Monday 5 September 2016

The night before school

As I'm writing this, both my boys are tucked up in their beds, but it's a different feeling tonight, the clothes are all laid out for tomorrow and the alarm is set!

It's been six weeks since I needed to set an alarm, but tomorrow we will do the familiar walk to the local school and go through the same door but instead of entering nursery we will go next door to reception.

Four years ago you were a tiny baby sleeping in your carrycot, now you are four a bright and intelligent, friendly little boy. And you do know your own mind. If your not happy you let everyone know about it.

This is the start of your full time education James. We are so lucky you are in a school system where you will only change once. So two schools between now and you leaving at eighteen! 
Work hard my little dude, but remember mummy, daddy and Freddie are proud of you know matter what xxx

This mummy is feeling very emotional tonight. It's hard to believe my first born starts school tomorrow not even two weeks after he turned four!