1st step towards.....

.....loosing weight.

I've signed up to the slimfast 3-2-1 plan and ordered some slimfast milkshake powders and have a list of new meals and snacks that I can eat.  No idea if it is going to work or not, but worth a try. 

Really glad that boots had the powders at less than half normal price.  IF and a big if, I like them and they are still on offer on tuesday I will get some more and stock up.

the main problem I have is that I am limited as to how much exercise I can do because of my knee injury, which is half the reason i've put on more weight!

New "toy"

Today my Dremel multi tool has arrived :D

I have had a small play with it on a few small stones, but I need to get some more diamond drill bits to engrave as only 2 came with it.

It's certainly not as easy as I thought it was going to be and my lines are quite bumpy, not sure if its the stones or an unsteady hand or combination of both.

But I am not going to be beaten by it as I have some ideas that I need it to work for!  Watch this space.



UPDATE 8th march

I ordered the flexi drive shaft for it so that I have more control.  I Ordered it on next day delivery and it has arrived.  Had a play and I can do much neater finer lines.  Now to get some more rocks and get on with what I hope to do.

MORE easy to make costumes

I have started another page for the costumes as the other one was getting really long with all the outfits and pictures.  Most of these I haven't actually made but have been easy ideas I have.

• GHOST - A white sheet folded in half and the sides stitched leaving space for the arms to come out of,  cut out the eyes but outline them in black and draw a black mouth on.

• PIRATE - Wear a stripey top, you can rip the bottom to look more raggy if you want to, use a piece of spotty or stripey material or a triangle bandage as a bandanna, get an old pair of trousers and rag the bottoms, you can wear a belt over the top if its big.  You can make an easy pirate hook with a plastic coat hanger (broken) and covered in black/silver tape.

• LEGO BRICK - Get a big cardboard box, cut a head hole in top and open the base, attach egg boxes to the front (for the raised bits of Lego), paint all 1 colour and wear matching colour trousers and long sleeved top. Add straps to keep it on shoulders.  You can also make a matching hat using a small box and egg box bits, tie on with elastic or ribbon.

•  DIAMOND - Get a big cardboard box but turn it at an angle, cut a head hole in the top and open the base. Paint the whole box white, allow to dry and then re-paint using a clear glitter paint.  Add straps to keep it on the shoulders. Wear white or sparkly trousers/leggings and long sleeved top.

• HARRY POTTER - Wear a Halloween cape, a white shirt and a pair of grey trousers.  Use the frame from a pair of old glasses (remove the lenses), draw a scar with make up on your forehead and use a long thin twig as a wand.

• BUNCH OF GRAPES - Wear either a green or deep purple/burgundy top and trousers, attach blown up corresponding colour balloons all over the top, add a small tree branch to a headband as the stalk.

• BUBBLE BATH - Wear pink or peach top and trousers, cover the top with small white balloons and stick a mini bottle of shampoo (empty) onto one shoulder, add a shower cap to your head.

• BEDTIME - Wear your PJ's and dressing gown and slippers with a teddy beady and favourite book.
   
• OCTOPUS - Use a purple (hooded if possible) jumper (a few sizes bigger), get 3 pairs of purple socks and stuff them with pillow stuffing, sew the socks onto jumper 3 each side under arms down to the hem.  Add white circles to the base of the socks and under the sleeves to make suckers.  Wear dark coloured trousers.

• ARTIST - Use a mans old shirt and wear it back to front but. Cover it in paint marks of different colours.  Make a paint palette made from a piece of cardboard and get a paintbrush.   You can add a flat cap and easel if required.

• ODD SOCK BASKET - Get a plastic wash basket from £1 shop, cut the base from it, attach ribbon to both sides so it stays on the shoulders and is all the way round you, add lots of old odd socks to the basket front and back and to the top you are wearing (try and get the top the same colour as the basket.) 

• SNOWBALL/SNOWING - Get a large pale blue jumper, a pale blue woolly hat and white leggins or trousers.  Buy a bag of cotton wool balls and stitch or glue them all over the jumper and hat.

• MUMMY - Wear white trousers and top or dress, stitch bandages (or strips of material) in a wrapped around fashion.

• BLACK CAT - Wear black trousers and a black long sleeve top.  Make a tail from an old black sock and stuff it with pillow stuffing but not too thickly, make a pair of pointy ears from cardboard, paint them black and attach to a headband, paint your nose pink and add whiskers.

• CORN ON THE COB - Wear a green top and yellow/brown trousers.  Attach some egg boxes to the top (painted yellow) and add a couple of green paper leaves over the top of the egg boxes so its only the middle showing.
• GREEK/EGYPTIAN BOY -  For Greek boy - Wear white 3/4 trousers and large sleeveless white top and sandals.  For Egyptian boy -  as per the Greek but you will need a fancy piece of neck and wrist jewellery (as most were rich).

• BOXER - Wear a pair of shorts, a loose dressing gown and pair of boxing gloves.
  
• WILLY WONKA - Get a long purple coat, a purple waistcoat and bow tie and a pair of brown trousers.  You will also need a walking stick/cane and a brown top hat (this could be made from cardboard and paper marche).

• MERMAID BRA - Get a bra or bikini top in your size in a plane green/teal/turquoise/blue colour.  Using shells (bought or collected from the beach) and a few sequins/gem stones glue all over the bra/bikini top.  Allow to dry.

• RUBIX CUBE - Get a large cardboard box and cut a hole for the head and arms, open up the base.  Add straps so that it will stay on your shoulders.  Paint the whole box black and add coloured squares in rows of 4 over each side of the box - mix up the colours.  Wear a black top and trousers under it.

• SHERLOCK HOLMES/DETECTIVE - Get a beige or grey skirt that you can cut up, this is going to be your cape.  On the side opposite the zip stitch a /\ from the hem up to the waist band, you can cut out the middle section as this is not needed.  You will now have a cape shape that you can get over your head by undoing the zip and doing it up once on.  Get an old flat cap for your hat.  You also need a magnifying glass and a old pipe.

• ROBBER - Get a black and white stripey top (or make one using a plain white top and adding black stripes), and plain black trousers.  You also need a pair of black gloves and a black beanie hat and a mask that covers your eyes (make from cardboard and elastic or craft foam).  You can then make a simple swag bag from a white pillow case tied about 1/4 way from the top -  fill it with clothes so not heavy and draw a £ or $ sign on the front.

• TY BEANIE BABY - This is ideal for a small baby.  Wear an all in one fluffy coat suit with hood (or fluffy onesie).  Add a small ribbon bow of the same colour as suit to left chest and make a TY taggy heart from cardboard and attach to the ear of the hood.

• WHERE'S WALLY - Wear a red and white stripey top, a pair of blue jeans/trousers, a pair of glasses with no lenses in, a red and white stripey hat and a walking stick/cane.

• MINION - This is very easy to do.You need a long sleeved yellow top or jumper and a pair of dungarees.  Add a pair of black gloves and paint your face yellow, wear swimming goggles.

• TRAFFIC LIGHTS - Get a large cardboard box and cut head and arm holes, open out the base.  Paint it all black.  Make a red, amber and green circle and stick to the front of the box.  Wear a black top and trousers with it.

• MARIO/LUIGI - You need a pair of dungarees to which you need to make the buttons yellow (sticky label), a red or green long sleeved top and a red or green hat with a M or L on the front.  Draw a moustache on your face.

• BARBIE DOLL - You need to get hold of a long box ideally from a freezer.  Cut arms holes in the sides and remove a window section from the front, paint the whole box pink and add a barbie logo.  Dress in your best dress and heels and step into your box.

• HARRY & HIS BUCKET OF DINOSAURS - Wear a red and yellow top and blue jeans, have a blue bucket (sandcastle type) and put toy dinosaurs in it.

• GNOME - Where black leggings and a long sleeved long top plain in colour.  Add a belt over the top.  Make a beard from wool or use a pre-bought one.  Make a red pointy hat from thin cardboard.  Get a long stick and add string to it as your fishing rod.

• CRAZY CAT LADY - Acquire some toy cats, more is better.  Attach them to a dressing gown.  Wear dressing gown and slippers over pyjamas or leggings and top and wear slippers.

• MEDUSA HEADBAND - Buy a pack of toy snakes and a cheap headband.  Glue the snakes to the headband using super glue.  Once dry, spray paint all of it gold. 

•  MONSTER FEET - Get a cheap pair of crocs in your size and a can of expanding foam.  Fill the crocs with newspaper.  Spray the foam all the way round the edge of the crocs and add 3 pointy toes at the front.  Slowly build up the layers of foam going over the top of the crocs so that they are completely covered in foam.  Allow to dry and then paint. 

• CATERPILLAR - You will need 8 green pillowcases (doesn't matter if all different shades of green or if green patterned-  you need to make sure that they come in pairs though).  Lay the 1st pillow case down so that it is the way the it would be on a bed.  Next lay another pillow case above it so the long edges are touching, stitch this edge together.  Repeat this for the next 2 so that you have 4 stitched together.  Make sure that you stitch the remaining 4 in the same order.  You need to add some green ribbon to both of the top pillow cases so that you have like this /\.  This is the caterpillars body.  Get a red hat and add two big white eyes to the front.  Add Pillows to the pillow cases and your ready to go.  ***You may need more or less pillow cases depending on how big the person is that is wearing the outfit.***

•  CLAWS - Buy a pair of brown woolly gloves, and some yellow felt.  Cut the felt into 10 long triangles.  Glue or stitch each yellow piece onto the end of each finger in the gloves.

World Book day march 6th/easy to make costumes

Feel quite sad today because my sons school didn't allow the kids to dress up as a character from a book, they were only allowed to take in a favourite book.  Lots of my friends were putting pictures of their children's outfits on Facebook.

WELL I won't let it get me down too much, and thought I would add some of our old costumes to here and information on how they were made.  There are lots that are easily made from clothes and items around your house.

 CHRISTMAS PRESENT DRESS - This was very easily made.  The dress (£5 in sale) already had the small round silver beads on it.  I bought a roll of silver ribbon (£1 shop) and a silver bow (£1 card shop).  I pinned the ribbon in place to make the cross shape and then stitched it to the dress.

CHRISTMAS TREE DRESS - This is my friend in her Christmas tree dress, she said it only took a couple of hours to make.  She already had the green dress to which she added Christmas decorations (£1 shop) and some tinsel (£1 shop).  She also added a set of battery fairy lights (£1 shop) to it again stitched in place.

 

REINDEER DRESS - This was a very quick last minute dress up idea.  I already had the brown boots and dress in my wardrobe.  The nose and antlers were from £1 shop and I bought the tights (£3 new look).

 WEREWOLF OUTFIT - White top was 50p from a charity shop, the jeans were old and had rips at the knee.  The mask and gloves were from £1 shop, the fur on legs were made from ladies fur boot toppers (£3 from eBay) and the long brown strands and fur patches were from a friends scarf.  Was easily made and I think only took a couple of hours.

 WITCHES CAPE - This cape was handmade by myself.  I bought 5 scarf's from the £1 shop and stitched them together.  I then added a piece of purple ribbon to each side at the top so I could tie it.

 LEPRECHAUN - This was a very quick outfit from things we had at home.  My son is wearing green pajama bottoms and his brothers green t-shirt.  His bead was from my husbands wizard outfit he had for Halloween.  The hat was initially made from cardboard and paper marche and is actually red, but I covered it (loosely) in green crepe paper and stuck a black ring of tape round and cut out a the buckle shape from gold paper.

 WWII EVACUEE - My eldest son had to go to school as an evacuee.  His hat was one that we had from their Victorian outfit, the gas mask was from the DIY section at £1 shop and its box was a small box we had that I added string to and the image was from Google of an original notice from gas mask box.  He already had the white shirt, his tank top was a grey school jumper that I carefully removed the sleeves on, he was meant to have worn grey 3/4 trousers and long socks but it was a cold and wet day.  His suitcase/lunchbox was from charity shop and contained a child's teaset.  Labels were printed off the net.

 LION OUTFIT - This was to represent the Lion from "the lion, the witch and the wardrobe."  I think this was one of the hardest outfits I have made for book day (or any other event).  The jumper was from a charity shop (it didn't have the wool ruff around neck), this was made with lots of 6" strands of wool and a crotchet hook - each strand was made into a loop and hooked through a stitch of the v-neck jumper.  There is 3 different colours of wool, of which the balls came from a charity shop.  The hat was a mustard colour beanie from matalan (£2 in sale-it didn't have the wool mane around it).  The mane was made in the same way as the ruff and is about 3" deep on the hat.  The mask is made from craft foam and elastic.  The tail was made by plaiting long lengths of the wool together and then all the ends left as the fluffy ball on end.  He wore beige trousers as you can see.  This did take about a week to do.

 GARGOYLE OUTFIT - This was fairly easy to make, it was to go with the books "Gargoylez".  It was a grey onesie which had a tail and hood with ears.  The wings were red devil ones from Halloween that had black paint applied to dull the red.  The mask was from craft foam and elastic.

 CHINESE DRAGON - This was made when the school were studying about china.  The mask was a white cardboard box which eye holes were cut from.  The dragon's face was drawn on white paper and it's nostrils were lined up with sons eyes and stuck onto the box.  We then added strips of red, orange and yellow crepe paper all over the box.  He wore red shorts and t-shirt as you can see.

 EGYPTIAN - This was when the school were studying the Egyptians.  The outfit was a pair of white 3/4 trousers (50p charity shop), a long white top that had silver studs on the shoulders (raided from sisters wardrobe), a gold chain belt (£1 charity shop), neck and wrists bits were local fancy dress shop about £3 and the plait in his hair was from a ball of wool in the cupboard.

 FIREMAN SAM OUTFIT - This was handmade.  The jacket came from a charity shop, it was a ladies size 8 that I cut and made smaller.  The trousers were an old pair we had ready to donate to charity shop - I just added the reflective bands to the bottom and they came off a reflective vest from £1 shop.  The belt was one we had anyway and so was the hat.

 PETER PAN & CHARLIE BUCKET FROM THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - Peter pan was a bought outfit (so I cheated BUT it was from a charity shop). Charlie was very easy to do.  My son already had the brown trousers and red jumper.  All I bought was the wonka bar and golden ticket (£2.50 from eBay).  I just made his hair messy with gel.

 PIRATE - My youngest son wanted to be a pirate like his older brothers, so I stuck my stripey vest top on him, with a belt round his middle, the bandanna was from an old pirate outfit that was outgrown and the hook was made from a broken plastic coat-hanger that I covered in black tape.  Very quick and easy to do.

 PIRATES - The bigger of the two was hand made.  His trousers started out as a stripey skirt that came from a charity shop -  I stitched leg shapes into the skirt and then cut the gap in the middle out, I added elastic to the ankles and waist.  He already had the white shirt and his belt was a curtain tie (50p box at market), his waistcoat was from my sisters wardrobe and his bandanna was off eBay.  The smaller of the two was a bought outfit.

 CARPENTER & SOLDIER (Xmas at school) - The carpenter was very easy with an all brown outfit and a saw made from cardboard and painted.  The soldier again was easy as it was black trousers and red top and a hat made from cardboard.

 

SPACEMEN - These were a summer holiday activity day.  The oxygen bottles were made from empty pop bottles covered in tin foil (glued on), ribbon was then attached to them so they could be worn.  The hats were made from food covers (2 for £1) and had a piece of of washing line from hat to oxygen bottle.  The feet were car sponges and  in place with ribbon.

BIG SKELETON - This was a really easy to do costume.  The outfit was a skeleton one from Halloween, the hat was made from cardboard and paper march and then then painted.

 VICTORIAN BOY OUTFIT - This was made but by things being bought.  The trousers and waistcoat suit was off eBay (can't remember how much but not a lot), the brown shirt was from a charity shop (50p-£1) and I removed the collar from it.  The necktie was from his cowboy outfit, the hat was from a charity shop, shoes and socks were his own. (He  was a rich Victorian not a poor one.)

 BUILDER - This was very easy to make.  My son already had jeans and a check shirt.  The hat and tools were from £1 shop as a set.

CHICK - This was made at school for an Easter play.  It was a white t-shirt to which strips of orange and yellow crepe paper were glued on, the hat/beak was a strip of yellow card with an orange beak added to it.  He was meant to have orange/yellow trousers but as we didn't have any he wore his grey school trousers.

Product review of Virasoothe

This is the type that I had

I was recommended this product by a friend of a friend after a discussion on Facebook about both our children having chicken pox.  And how calamine lotion was not advised, I had been using Aqueous and calamine cream.
 g I had never heard of this and went straight to Google.  After a Google search I found the product and started to find where had it locally.  The chemist at the top of the road had not heard of it, Boots didn't stock it as only small boots, 3rdly was the late night chemist in town who had both the spray and the gel in a tube, they only had 1 spray left so I asked them to put it aside for me and headed down to get it.

My initial thought of the product was how expensive it was in relation to the size of the product.  I paid £8.49 for a 60ml spray bottle.  It does seem that the price varies from shop to shop though, the chemist I got it from was selling the gel in tubes at £5.49 compared to £8.99 on Boots website and as cheaply as £3.99 on eBay (but 3-5days delivery so no good.)

When I got home I covered my son in it and I had to rub some in  as it was quite runny for a gel spray and was running down his chest/belly.  My son didn't cry out in pain upon application like when I was using the Aqueous and calamine  cream, he just laughed and said "it's cold and it tickles".  So this was a great start and can only be a good thing.

The gel wasn't sticky and it didn't leave any residue or marks on clothing, nor did it dry out like the cream.  The spray nozzle is quite wide and some spray does go "away from the body" like when I was doing his shoulders it sprayed over them.  It also didn't dry out my sons skin causing him to scratch like the cream did.  My son hardly scratched his spots from when we started the Virasoothe.  He even said that they didn't itch anymore.  I did have to go and get a second bottle as I used the first in 2days, it says to use "two or three times a day or whenever relief is needed," I found we were applying it more than two or three times, more like every 4hours including night time as my son was very heavily covered in spots and kept waking in discomfort.


His chicken pox are nearly all scabbed over now, the 1st few spots that had the cream on still look quite red and nasty compared to the majority which had the Virasoothe on them, which are smaller scabs, not red and fading.  I believe that the Virasoothe has helped a lot and dried the spots and healed them.  I wish I had heard of this product before as I would have used it from the start.  At least I know of it if my other 2 children get it.

I would certainly recommend this product to friends with children both before they get chicken and when they have it.  It wasn't until I went onto the company website that I found out that Virasoothe is available on prescription free.

As well as the Virasoothe, my son was having regular Calpol and we were also advised ti use Piriton as it is an anti-histamine and helps reduce the itching.

The only downside I would say about this is that I ended up buying medical gloves in order to rub it in because I reacted to the gel and all the skin on my hand started to peel.  This was the only new thing that I had touched and it happened a short while after application.  I noticed it after the first time and thought nothing of it, but when it happened after the second and third I knew it was from the Virasoothe.  (But I do react to a lot of products that touch my hands so I wasn't surprised.)


http://www.itchi.co.uk/parents/care-virasoothe-menu/where-to-get-it.aspx  is the website about the product

Rainbow rice and pancake day

About 2years ago I found a post on the net about Rainbow rice.  I copied it and made some for my son.  I also added lentils and split peas and black beans to it.  He loved playing with his diggers in it.  A few days ago he added water to it and it all went mushy and mouldy and I had to throw it all out.

I've spent today re-making it (well some of it as hadn't got many food colouring in the cupboard).  He now has red (more like pink), purple, plain rice and lentils, split peas and red beans all in the tub.  I will get some more food colouring and make him some blue rice and orange and some black beans when I can get to tesco.

It's very simple to make, you need the following:
rice (dry not cooked)
food colouring
white vinegar
cooking trays

place the rice on the cooking tray (I use one bag per colour as we have big tub to keep it in), add a few drops of food colouring (more makes darker/brighter colours) and 2 capfuls of white vinegar, mix really well so that all the rice becomes covered in the food colouring.  Once it's all mixed together you need to re-dry it, so place in oven on low heat for about 5minutes or out in the sun for about 20minutes.  It is advisable to mix it round the baking tray half way through so that it all gets dried.  Once it's dried and cooled add to a plastic tub and mix all the colours together, it looks like a rainbow!  It lasts ages as long as doesnt get wet.  My son has had hours of fun with it.

Rainbow rice in tub

rainbow rice close up

Also today I have made 2 batches of pancake batter ready for tea.  I'm sure it will be enough but then again knowing my boys it may not be and I will have to make even more!!!  Toppings for the pancakes are lemon & sugar, golden syrup, and chocolate spread.

CHICKEN POX :(

My youngest son has got chicken pox.  He is covered head to toe bless him. 

I was coating him in the aqueous and calamine cream as hate calamine lotion as it dries it gets itchy.  A friend posted on facebook saying that his kids have it as well (doesn't live near me) and a friend of his said about virasoothe gel is the best thing to apply.  I had never heard of it before, so looked up on google.  I then rang the local chemist who said they had it in.   Got on the next bus and went to get it.  I have now coated my son in this spray gel, fingers crossed it helps.

I am so glad that he has onesie's as he is wearing them which means he hasn't got much skin visible to scratch.