What a Difference (almost) a Year Makes...

I had a photo taken this afternoon which I realised was in the same place, with me in the same jumper as one I had taken a couple of days after Cameron was born. I thought it would be interesting to compare the photos to see just how much me and Cameron have changed in 11 and a half months.

My little man is all grown up, scary!!

Picture of the Day

Today I have been having lots of cuddles with my lovely little boy. I had my tattoo retouched at 10am but spent the rest of the day having lots of fun with Cameron who has so much character now! He pulls the funniest faces! This is his grumpy morning face, I think he needed a bit more sleep...

Picture of the Day

Today I have been thinking a lot about tattoos....

I was meant to have my second foot tattoo retouched back in April but didn't get round to it so emailed the tattoo studio today, expecting a long waiting list but when I went in to book it I was given an appointment for tomorrow morning, arghh! So tomorrow I will have both tattoos looking nice and fresh and pretty.

I have also been thinking some more about my next tattoo, which I want to be of a fallen angel as it means a lot to me, having been my nickname for 6 years, and reminding me of the girl I used to be. I am struggling to decide on where to have the tattoo... Any suggestions?

I want it reasonably small and it has to be possible to hide it when I want to! I am in no big rush as I will need to save a bit of money beforehand. I am thinking of probably having it for Christmas.

Friday Fellings: 27th August

This week I have been settling into the new flat. I already unpacked at the weekend, but I have been sorting out things like the internet connection and arranging repairs to things that were not working when we moved in, such as the extractor fan. We are also in the process of having new carpets fitted as the old ones are not in a good condition at all! I cannot wait for every little thing to be sorted now, I am very impatient.

Other than the move, I have been catching up with some old friends this week. It has been nice to get in contact with a lot of people that I haven't spoken to as much as I would like recently, as well as meeting up in person with a couple of girls I went to school with yesterday which was lovely. Cameron took his first nervous steps the other day, but has since refused to do it again much to my annoyance! I am sure he will get there soon...

I have been feeling quite low recently, and today I went to the doctors about it. My PND has returned and I am going to talk to someone about it next week.  I am also having some blood tests done next week to see if my Thyroid could be the answer to why I have been feeling exhausted all the time, and lacking in energy (which is not ideal when you have an eleven month old son).

25 Day Food Challenge: Day 24 - A recipe that you want to try out

I really would love to be able to make cheesecake and found this recipe which looks delicious, I must attempt it!

Takes 1 hr 30 plus 2 hours cooling + chilling

1. Position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with parchment paper. For the crust, melt the butter in a medium pan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and sugar so the mixture is evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.
2. For the filling, increase the oven temperature to fan 200C/conventional 240C/gas 9. In a table top mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the soft cheese at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the sugar, then the flour and a pinch of salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle twice.
3. Swap the paddle attachment for the whisk. Continue by adding the vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, scraping the bowl and whisk at least twice. Stir the 284ml carton of soured cream until smooth, then measure 200ml/7fl oz (just over 3⁄4 of the carton). Continue on low speed as you add the measured soured cream (reserve the rest). Whisk to blend, but don't over-beat. The batter should be smooth, light and somewhat airy.
4. Brush the sides of the springform tin with melted butter and put on a baking sheet. Pour in the filling - if there are any lumps, sink them using a knife - the top should be as smooth as possible. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to fan 90C/conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4 and bake for 25 minutes more. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools.
5. Combine the reserved soured cream with the 142ml carton, the sugar and lemon juice for the topping. Spread over the cheesecake right to the edges. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. Run a round-bladed knife around the sides of the tin to loosen any stuck edges. Unlock the side, slide the cheesecake off the bottom of the tin onto a plate, then slide the parchment paper out from underneath.

Keep everything at room temperature
Keep everything at room temperature. To avoid lumps and ensure even mixing without over-beating, it is essential to have the soft cheese at room temperature before starting. Ideally, let it come to room temperature in its pack for 2 hours. If you're short of time, cut the soft cheese into chunks and leave to soften for 1 hour. It also helps to have a tabletop mixer with a powerful motor. But if you don't have one, a hand-held mixer works fine.

Mixing the ingredients
The way you blend the ingredients is crucial: under-beating can lead to a lumpy mixture, over-beating can whip in too much air. This can result in uneven cooking, bubbles, and cracking.

Per slice (of 12)

549 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 37g, fat 41 g, saturated fat 24g, fibre 1g, sugar 25g, salt 1.04 g

30 Day Celebrity Challenge: Day 2 First Celebrity Encounter

My first encounter with a celebrity was not that amazing to be honest.. When I lived in Kent, my nan lived in Dartford, and we used to always bump into the stars of Eastenders when we were out shopping, including Daniella Westbrook who used to play Sam Mitchell (though probably most remembered for her infamous nose issues).

I also went up on stage with David Essex when I was younger, who know ironically is on Eastenders!

My Morning of Pampering!

Two days ago I shot up in bed suddenly remembering I had booked in a beauty appointment about a month ago for a day towards the end of August and I was worried I had missed it. Luckily I hadn't, and the appointment was for today at 11am. I had bought a voucher months ago on Groupon for £14 and for that I got a back, neck and shoulder massage, a manicure, and eyebrow threading.

I was most concerned about the last one as I had never had my eyebrows threaded before. I consider myself to be pretty low maintenance, and never really have any treatments done. I had a quick ask around on Facebook this morning and was assured it didn't hurt that much. When I had it done I didn't find it painful at all. It was a little unnerving as the sound is pretty loud as the hairs are being removed, but it is not painful and the results are great. I am really happy with my eyebrows now! I don't think I will have it done again, unless for a special occassion as I don't have the money for it, but I would recommend it as a beauty treat.

I then had the massage which was great, I had so many knots because of all the stress I have had lately, but the lady was amazing and got rid of all of them, and I felt so much better afterwards. Finally I had my manicure. As I bite my nails from time to time, they are pretty short which makes manicures a bit of a waste of time, but this was really nice as the woman was so friendly and chatty and she made my cuticles look so much better than they looked when I went in. I chose a bright baby pink colour for my nails and I love them, they look really nice and I will definitely have a manicure in the future, once my nails have grown a little more!

It was a lovely morning and definitely could not have come at a better time. I might just have to start looking on Groupon again, if only to book my mum something similar for her birthday!

Picture of the Day

Today I met up with two of my old friends who I was at Sixth Form with and I had an amazing catch up. It is so nice to be with people who have known you as something other than just a mummy. I love all of my friends and wish I saw them more often!

Cuddles With Cameron

Hello everyone, this week I have been settling into my new home with mummy. It has been really interesting exploring everywhere, and making mummy run after me all over the new flat!

I slept in my new big boy bed and loved it, I love being all grown up!

Today I started clapping for the first time, which mummy and nanny love as I look so cute.

I also walked for the first time the other day, which mummy was very happy about... Maybe I will do it some more tomorrow...

Night mummy's readers xx

25 Day Food Challenge: Day 23 - Favourite drink

I am a bit boring when it comes to non alcoholic drinks, I prefer to just drink water as it is nice and healthy, and I dislike a lot of drinks (as well as being unable to drink some due to my caffeine intolerance), for this reason I have decided to tell you my favourite alcoholic drink which is currently Rose wine.

White wine gives me a bad hangover, and I cannot stand red wine, but I love rose. Wine is also the cheapest way to get me drunk as it only takes a few glasses since having Cameron and you can get a nice wine for less than a tenner (sometimes less than a fiver)!