Bridget Jones Lives….in my kitchen

Its Day 4 today, and bizarrely I feel GREAT!

I know most quitters, when giving up the cigarettes, worry about weight gain.  Right now reader, I could care less about weight gain.

Today I have spent, 7hrs whipping up a storm in the kitchen.  I have made Carrot Cake, Millionaire Shortbread, Chicken Stock from the carcass of the chicken we had last night, and Carrot soup.

Not once, have I craved a cigarette, even talking about it now, does not make me NEED one.

And, strangely, I feel quite relaxed about the whole thing.

I did a weekly shopping last night at my local supermarket, and I decided to buy baking utensils and ingredients.  I complained in a previous post about not finding the time to bake.  But I had an epiphany last night, baking may actually help me to relax, and be able to involve my kids, whilst busy with both, I wont have time to think about a cigarette.

I can say reader, its working.

I actually high-fived myself on the way out of the store,  I managed to walk straight past the cigarette kiosk without stopping.  I could see out of the corner of my eye the lady behind looking quite confused, I ran, reader, in case said woman would rugby tackle me down and present me with a packet of  Menthol Lambert and Butler.  As I got out of the store, I presented myself with a victory air punch….and I am sure I said ‘YEEEEESSSS’

As I mentioned, I am not concerned about weight gain, I work out regularly, I run, and I am training for a half marathon.

The kids go back to school next week, so I will be picking up my training again.  Before, I could not start a run without a cigarette before I head off, and after, I would stretch out with a cigarette in my mouth! So I am really looking forward to seeing a difference in my performance.  I struggled in getting a half marathon done under 2hrs so I am hoping I can aim for 1hr 30mins.

Maybe Bridget Jones is living in my kitchen, cooking up calories, but I know it’s all going to be burnt off.  And quite frankly, reader, I would take calories over respiratory disease any day!

Update, and, when I have finished baking and cooking up eleventy million calories….I revamp my blog, hope you like

I want to be a Domesticated Goddess!

I wanna be her!

Reader, what am I doing wrong?!  I am a mummy of two kids, a 7yr old daughter and 5yr old son.  They are fed and watered, clean clothes, looked after well, and I am pretty sure they are happy.

However, my house is not happy, it often looks like a tornado rips through it on a daily basis no matter how hard I try to be a good wife and mother and clean the grease of my elbows.

My schedule, generally consists of;

• 7am wake up and shower (if I am lucky!)
• 7:15am wake up kids
• 7:20am make kids breakfast
• 7:30am chase kids upstairs brush teeth, wash faces
• 7:40am get kids into school uniforms
• 7:55am kids downstairs watching a bit of tv, chance to blow-dry my hair, in between yells of ‘BEHAVE! STOP FIGHTING, LEAVE YOUR BROTHER ALONE!’
• 8:15am sort out schoolbags, reminding myself that I really should do this chore in the evening
• 8:20am Do daughters hair, in between her yells of screams that I am hurting her tugs
• 8:25am tell kids to get their shoes and coats and scarves and hats and gloves on
• 8:27am tell kids to get their shoes and coats and scarves and hats and gloves on
• 8:30am scream at kids to get their shoes and coats and scarves and hats and gloves on
• 8:35am daughter’s friend rings door bell
• 8:35am roar at dog to stop barking at door bell
• 8:40am kiss daughter goodbye
• 8:45am Ask son where he has put his school shoes
• 8:50am get son in the car drive him to school
• 9am go to supermarket
• 10am put groceries away and curse at the crap I shouldnt have bought
• 10:30am have a coffee
• 10:45am start cleaning kitchen, living room, hallway, downstairs loo
• 11:30am have a look at Facebook
• 12 noon put a laundry on
• 12:15 have lunch
• 1pm start making beds and tidy bedroom
• 1:30pm empty washing machine, sort out clothes put into dryer
• 2pm off to school and pick up kids

WTF…I havent started upstairs yet, I have two bathrooms to clean.

• 3pm Children are yelling for snack
• 3:15pm fold laundry from dryer
• 3:45pm MY KITCHEN!!!!!! *sob* That darn tornado has gone through it AGAIN!
• 4:15pm try to clean one bathroom, in between ‘LEAVE YOUR SISTER ALONE….’WHAT WAS THAT BANG?’
• 4:45pm What do I make for dinner
• 5pm start making dinner, while trying to help with kids homework
• 5:30pm eat dinner
• 6pm clean kitchen
• 7pm Emmerdale *yay* I am now past caring the state of my kitchen
• 7:30pm Husband comes home from work, it’s now his turn to take over kids, he baths them
• 8:30pm say good night to the kids
• 9pm…..FRAZZLED

Schedule variations;  On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have to run son to taekwondo at 4:15 and I have to wait until 5pm, hardly worth going home so I fill myself up with caffeine, get home at 5:30 (rush hour) and start dinner.  Tuesdays, Daughter has cheerleading at 6pm-7pm so I need to get dinner in sharp! Fridays daughter has dance class from 6:30-7:15

Reader, where in that schedule do I fit in baking, crafting with the children, doing anything that is generally fun?

I have friends, believe it or not, when I go visit them, their houses are like show homes, they have children the same as me, they manage going to the gym, or spending a day in the city shopping and lunching, manicures, pedicures, things I can only dream off. They also craft, bake, make their own darn Christmas decorations! HOW?!?!

I have one friend who has 5 kids and either they don’t live in that house, or I am doing something drastically wrong.  You could probably eat in their bathrooms it’s so sparkly, go into my bathroom and you will quite possibly be met with an unrolled toilet roll, or worse, my son has just removed his boxer shorts and left them!

When I do get a good day and my house is top to toe spotless, I feel generally smug, but give it an hour and that freaking tornado will whip through the house leaving nothing unturned.

I bought, How To Be The Perfect Housewife, By Anthea Turner I looked at the first page and was too exhausted to any further.

I'm more like her!