HS:MS - Quirky

Something characterised by the peculiar or unexpected.

I have a multitude of quirkiness in my house so I had lots to choose from today. I ended up choosing the scary mask that lives in my living room next to my quirky furry see through curtains (the circles are furry). We used to have great fun with this mask when the kids were younger. On Halloween we used to take turns putting it on with a black cloak and waiting for the doorbell to ring. We lost count at the amount of kids who almost plopped their pants on our doorstep! We got our kids screaming in fright a few times too - like I said great fun!!

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Rach

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HS:MS - Hang

To suspend, be suspended or dangle.

I knew what I was going to take a photo of when I went upstairs for a shower and saw the sunlight streaming through the blinds in our bedroom. This is where my necklaces live, hanging off a candle holder. All I have done to it is cropped it and added the word.

Rach
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HS:MS - Us

You and me!

Bit difficult this one seeing as I am all on my lonesome until tonight so this is a little cheat as I have obviously not taken the kids out of school this morning to go to Alton Towers to ride on "Air". This was us in the early summer when we took Claire, my cousin, out for the day.



I have officially turned into a domestic goddess over the last week. My house is all spick and span (ish) and I have even started baking! I must admit the baking is mainly due to the boys mithering me to let them bake - like I'd let them loose in my kitchen on their own. Matt did bake the biscuits by himself with me peering over his shoulder every so often and Kyle did the cakes mainly by himself with just a bit of help. I of course got roped in to be the taste tester, it's a nasty job but someone has to do it, and I am pleased to report they were both delicious.

DOUGHNUT CUPCAKES

Each cake is worth 5 weight watchers points if you use the same ingredients as mine. They are muffin size so you could always make more smaller ones instead to lower the points.

200g softened butter (I used lurpak lighter)
200g sugar (I used silver spoon light)
2 eggs, plus 1 yolk
300g self raising flour
100ml milk (I used semi-skimmed)
1/2tsp baking powder
12 tsp strawberry jam (I used low sugar jam)
sugar for the top

Heat the oven to 180c/fan160c/gas 4. Tip the softened butter, sugar, eggs, flour, milk and baking powder into a large bowl. Beat together until a smooth soft batter.
Line a 12 hole tray with muffin cases and fill them two-thirds full with the batter. Spoon in 1 tsp jam into a dip in the middle and cover with another tbsp of batter. Bake for 25 minutes.
Brush a little melted butter over each cake and sprinkle with sugar, serve. Will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container or they can be frozen.

SIMPLE JAMMY BISCUITS

Makes 12 biscuits and each biscuit is worth 3 weight watchers points, and they are quite big.

200g self raising flour
100g caster sugar
100g butter (lurpak lighter)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp low sugar strawberry jam

Heat the oven to 190c/fan170c/gas 5. Rub the flour, sugar and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough egg to bring the mixture together to form a stiff dough.
Flour your hands and shape the dough into a tube, about 5cm in diameter. Cut into 2cm thick slices and place on a large baking sheet.
Make a small indentation in each slice and drop 1 tsp of jam in the centre. Bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly risen and golden.

Enjoy!!!!

Rach
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HS:MS - SPS #4

It's that time of the week when I get to cringe and you get to laugh at a picture of me.

Not got much else to say this morning so I'll leave it sweet and simple.

Rach
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HS:MS - Curious

Eager to know or learn.


Just a flying visit! I've been very busy for the last couple of days and it's Matt's 14th birthday today so another full day. Luckily I took this before he went to school this morning, it's of him investigating his new remote controlled helicopter before it got tangled up in my hair. It's one of the only ones where you can see his face below all his hair!

Rach
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HS:MS - Cake

A soft, sweet food.

Not a very good prompt when your trying to loose weight!! There was no way I was going to bake or buy a cake as it would only call out to me all day and I'm not putting myself through that torture. Luckily we went to my Great Nephews 2nd birthday party yesterday and he had a cake - I didn't even eat a crumb of it. The shots didn't turn out that well coz I didn't notice the white chair behind him so I have to work out how to get rid of it in photoshop.

Rach
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HS:MS - S.P.S. #3

Self Portrait Saturday.

This has come round too quickly for my liking! Seeing as I bit the bullet and did all of me last week I will spare you that horror this week and just do part of me.

Quick blog this morning too as we are really busy moving furniture around and the house is a mess, I had to climb to get to the computer! I'm sure Pete's done it on purpose to keep me off here.

Rach

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HS:MS - Talk

To converse or communicate.

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This is how the boys talk - with their walky talkies.

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Yesterday was kinda eventful here again. After 8 long weeks I finally got my car back and it looks brand spanking new with it's nice shiny new paint job so I was really pleased. Unfortunately all was not as well as it first looked. Instead of replacing the scratched window in the drivers door they replaced the windscreen, which I'm not complaining about but the side window still needs doing, the drivers door bangs into the back door ever time you shut it, the rear view mirror shakes when you drive, there are dirty, I mean really dirty, hand prints on the inside roof and the drivers electric window doesn't go up on it's own when you press the button like all the others do. You'd think that after 8 weeks they would have got it right by now, wouldn't you? So yesterday I spent a couple of hours on the phone to various people trying to explain what was still wrong and arrange for the work to be done and then I had to arrange for the hire car to be picked up as the damage from the accident is now repaired and then arrange a courtesy car as I won't have a car because of the garages incompetence. Aaaarggghhh all this because of an idiot who got behind the wheel after a drink (or six). I will be so glad when this is all over. On the upside the car has still got it's full tank of petrol that I got just before the crash, it seems to be driving as well as it was before and all the scratches from the kids bikes have now gone!

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Pete tried to mend the TV and surprise, surprise couldn't so we were out last night TV hunting. We found the one we wanted so came home and looked it up on the Internet and have found it for exactly £200 less than the one in Curry's and it's delivered for free so I will be ordering that this morning.

Rach

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HS:MS - Feast

A large meal or a plentiful supply.

These bloody things are a real sore point in this house at the moment. You see a couple of days ago I went and bought a box of silent crickets in good faith - silent my arse! You wouldn't think that such small things were capable of making such a racket at all times of the day and night, don't these things ever sleep? In the picture they are being gut loaded with fish food and fruit and veggies (just out of shot) ready to be feed to the various reptiles of the house today, that'll shut the buggers up. So this is a picture of a feast having it's last feast!



Nothing can dampen my mood today including the TV that has been in pieces on the Living Room floor for the last 2 days and the noisy crickets. Apparently the bloke that gave us the dragon thinks I am good looking, a lot younger than I am and asked Pete how he'd managed to get me. To which Pete very kindly replied "She's a bit fat at the moment" - thanks a lot love!!

Rach
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HS:MS - Hold

To grasp, carry or support with your hands.

With the huge amount of slimies that I could photograph being held in this house I thought I would go in a completely different direction and hold a sweetie instead. Kyle has asked me to tell you all that he was made to do this and it was not because he wanted to - yeah right Kyle!

Kyle enjoyed his first day at High School and it apparently all went smoothly, he wasn't impressed with the homework he was given though.

I am embarking on a new crafty pastime all thanks to Kirsty Wiseman. I could really do without any more distractions in my life but I really fancy trying digi scrapping so yesterday I bought a couple of kits from Weeds & Wildflower designs and as soon as I get the chance I am going to give it a go. At least it is cheaper and less messy than using actual glue and stuff and I don't have to find anywhere to store the results.

Ooh Ooh Ooh I just noticed this is my 100th post on my blog, well done me I thought I'd only manage to last a week at this blogging malarkey!

Rach

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HS:MS - Thoughtful

Absorbed in or involving thought.

Now the kids are back at school I will have to remember to look at the prompts before they leave the house. I really could have done with one of them this morning to use as a model but no the house is empty. Not really sure that reptiles think so a houseful of them doesn't help and there is NO WAY I am going to do a self portrait if I don't have to! Which left me with what I was being thoughtful over today. The first one is of what I can see while I sit here pondering what on earth I can take a photo of today.

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The second one is of Kyle ready for his first day of High School which should make him think and has definitely made me think - where have the last 11 years gone? The silly red joker smile round his face is where he thought, unbeknown to me, that it would be clever to have red milk not realising that the food colouring would stain his face. I was so tempted to not tell him and let him go to school with it still there but being the responsible parent I am it got scrubbed off. The face pulling is due to me taking pictures and is actually the most sensible one that I managed to get.

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Rach
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PETE'S DRAGON

This one is just for Elena who wanted to see the bearded dragon because she doesn't know what one looks like and she's got the dragon from the film Pete's Dragon in her head. So in honour of Elena we are going to rename him Elliot which is the name of the dragon in the film "Pete's Dragon" which is very apt as this one also belongs to Pete!

We have just found out that it is a little boy and he is about 8 months old. He is only tiny at the moment but will grow to be about 2.5 foot.

HS:MS - Fall

To move downwards rapidly.

I don't have any fall in my space today and I think it might be classed as child abuse if I trip the kids up just for a photograph. So I am going to cheat today with a couple of pictures I took 2 years ago at Niagara Falls.
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We got yet another addition to the family last night which was a bit unplanned. We have somehow managed to get a baby Bearded Dragon for free as a bloke from Pete's work didn't want it anymore, knew we had lizards and asked if we would have it. The idea was to pick it up and keep it until we could give it to our niece who was going to sell it on for us, but as things are we have all fallen in love with it. It hasn't been well looked after at all the vivarium was far too small, filthy, smelly, it had no light and no food. We have put it in a bigger house that is nice and clean, it now has everything it needs apart from the UV bulb which I will get today. We have no idea what sex it is at the moment but should find out today so we have called it a Unisex name "Puff" (the magic dragon who doesn't live by the sea). Pete's first suggestion was "Mary" which is my mother's name but somehow I don't think she would like being known as a bearded dragon.

It's the last day before the big return to school for Matt and start of High School for Kyle. So today will be spent shopping for packed lunch bits and pieces, getting bags ready and tiding bedrooms. Then tomorrow I can get back to my normal routine without any interuptions - YAY!

Rach
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HS:MS - Show Off Sunday No 2

I took this picture a couple of years ago on a dog walk. I love the colours in it as they just scream out summer and it's not been edited at all.

We had a great day yesterday at bowling and the pictures. I went to the pictures with the attitude that "Transformers" was a boy's film and I was going to hate it. How wrong could I have been I LOVED the film it was soooo good. How sad does that make me? It was so full of action from start to finish, it was funny and the story was actually quite good but the effects were totally amazing. I would highly recommend this film for anyone with boys as Kyle was literally sat on the edge of his seat throughout the film. Matt is a bit cool for the edge of seat thing now and spent the whole time in a teenage slouch position but he still really enjoyed the film, or so his grunts told us.

Rach
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HS:MS - S.P.S No 2

Well it's the dreaded Self Portrait Saturday again. I decided to bite the bullet today and not hide behind anything so here's me all ready to go bowling. It's only £1 a game on a Saturday morning before 11am and yes we are cheap so that's when we go. Then we are going to go and watch Transformers at the pictures this afternoon.

We had some fantastic news yesterday. My friend came to see us before I could get to her with the results of her husbands tests. He has had 3 quarters of the brain tumor removed and it is very low grade and slow growing which means he needs no further treatment. They only removed 3/4 of the tumor because of where it is but they have said that if they need to they can remove some more in the future. He has been signed off work for 8 weeks and he will have to have regular checks and tests. He will also be unable to drive or work at heights for the next 12 months, bit difficult for a builder but his boss is very understanding. We are letting him have another 2 weeks to recover a bit more and then we are going to go out and celebrate, t-total style for now.

Rach

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HS:MS - Chew

To bite and grind with the teeth.

I knew straight away what I was going to attempt to get a shot of today. So armed with my camera I went and knocked on the loo door to ask Matt if it was feeding day today. When he said it was I didn't think for one minute I would actually manage to capture it as it's pretty quick and only does it every other day but Way Hay I got it. So I present you with Synner munching on a live cricket covered in calcium and vitamin powder.

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For those people who may be concerned about me dragging my children off the toilet just so I can get a photograph for HS:MS don't worry he had been in there for about 30 minutes and was only reading his book.

The only other news I have is that our friend has now been discharged from hospital and is recovering well at home. We find out today what his results are and what further treatment he needs. Other than that not a lot is happening around here at the moment.

Rach
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HS:MS - Dish

A shallow bowl or radio antenna.

Mmm when is a dish a dish and not a bowl or a plate I ask myself, is there an exact depth where it morphs from one to the other. We don't watch enough TV to warrant Sky so no dish there anymore, bit miffed about Ghost Whisper and Lost now they are on Sky but we refuse to pay silly money to watch 2 programmes. We can usually see Jodrell Bank from our bedroom window but the damn things pointing the wrong way today so nothing there either. So I resorted to the dish/bowl in the front window. At one time it had some beautiful candles in it that looked like stones but in my infinite wisdom I left it in the window and the sun melted them. So now it collects stones from places we have been to, fire cones and dust.

The only other interesting thing today is that it's only 141 hours and 42 minutes until the boys get pushed out of the door ready for school on Tuesday morning.

Rach
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HS:MS - Cloud

A mass of water vapour.

An easy peasy one at last. The only hard bit was which cloud to choose. I settled on two pictures (again) the first one shows the clouds we had at 8.30am looking from the back of our house. We live in the black triangle.

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This second one shows the clouds that are on their way. Another day spent trying to figure out how to dry the washing for me again today. :(

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Good job I did this early as it's now 9am and we have totally greydom outside.

Rach
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HS:MS - Apple

A red or green fruit from a tree.

I couldn't choose what to take a picture of today so I took photos of 2 things. My Dad bought me two apple trees this year for my birthday and one of them has got 2 Jonagold apples on it - not bad for it's first year and we can't wait to try them! Took a few goes to get this shot as I didn't want the unmown lawn, yucky grey clouds or the horrible fence in the picture.

The other picture is of a bag of apples we picked when we were out for a walk along the River Weaver a couple of days ago. We spotted the apple tree growing at the side of the path so used a dog poo bag (recycled bread bag) to carry them home in. I made an apple crumble with some of them last night which was delicious, even more so for being free, and as you can see there are plenty left to make some more crumbles and an apple and blackberry cake for Kyle.

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Rach

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HS:MS - Sun

An object that gives light and warmth.

Now this could have been a hard one as there is a distinct lack of sun in my space today. I could give you plenty of grey clouds but no sun - yet! So it's a good job that last night I went out into the garden and took this picture through my Acer. I wonder if that means I'm psychic?

We are off to look at push bikes now as Kyle has managed to bugger his up by doing jumps that it is not designed to do.