January 15th 2015 - cleaning the microwave

January 15th 2015 - cleaning the microwave

Today I was after a simple pin to do as in lots of pain with my knee again.  Now you might think that the task of cleaning the microwave isn't easy, well I thought the same until I came across this pin that has 31 hacks for cleaning.  I was abit skeptical as to whether it would work or not but thought I would give it a try.

It says "Get it out with a bowl of 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Microwave for five minutes, then wipe down with a paper towel or sponge."  Yea right like thats going to work!!!  

This is what the inside was like before I added the mix, not the worst it has been but could certainly do with a clean - 

Well I added my cup of water and vinegar to a bowl and put on the microwave on high power for 5mins as it said.  I got a scouring pad and started to wipe the water that had formed on all sides and it didn't look much different.  I took the glass plate out and wiped that with kitchen towel and then a tea towel to dry it, placed it back in and took another photo and  as you can see below there is a big difference.

So a 5minute clean up and the microwave is clean.

January 14th 2015 - Finished 1 book from reading list

January 14th 2015 - Finished 1 book from reading list

Today I have finished 1 book from the 2015 reading challenge.  The book was the subcategory of "Magic", it is called Dark Winter, the wicca circle by John Hennessey, and the pin is located here on my 365 board. 

Strange but good is how I would describe it, there were a few spelling mistakes but this dodn't alter the story, there was alos abit of confusing as it did flit about and repeat a few bits like character descriptions and because of this I gave a 3* rating of it in my review over on goodreads.


Also today my new laptop tray arrived (YAY!) but sadly it doesn't fit across my sofa and 1 leg falls down the gap between cushions and 1 leg doesnt even balance on sofa!  so not good.  But it's not wasted as it fits on hubby's sofa - he only has a 2 seater so the cushions are bit wider.  This does mean that I am still on the look out for a new laptop tray!

January 13th 2013 - towel rack

January 13th 2013 - towel rack

Well today I got hubby to put up a new towel rack, well coat hooks, because I am fed up of towels being on the floor and then laid on by the cats because the kdis cant get them to stay on the radiator.

I got the idea of the coat hooks here on pinterest.  I'm hoping that even little man whose 5 can reach them.

I do think I am going to have to sew a piece of ribbon as a loop to the middle of every towel though so they stay better.

January 12th 2015 - Laptop tray

JANUARY 12TH 2015 - laptop tray

My laptop tray is 1 of those that is filled with bean bag beans, now this was ok but the seams have split and everytime I move or put it down beans come out.  I did try and glue it back together but this hasn't worked.  Also since injuring my knee 2years ago having the laptop try right on my lap seems to add to the pain of my knees.

So I decided to do a hunt for a new laptop tray - 1 that had legs and rested around my legs and not sat on them seemed a good idea.  I looked at argos for 1 first - £28! Not a chance am I paying that!  So I then looked on pinterest for ideas of how to make them, I didn't find much. BUT I did find a very nice laptop tray (today's pin) and then looked on ebay and found almost the same one for just over £10 and ordered it.  Even though it's not here I have ordered 1 and will be here by the end of the week.

The old 1 will be going in the bin and hopefully my knees will ease up abit!

January 11th 2015 - Happy Birthday Hubby

JANUARY 11th 2015 - Happy Birthday Hubby

Today is my hubby's birthday.  The day started off well for him, our friends who we had spent the weekend staying with back in our home town of Peterborough cooked him (and me and kids) a full cooked english breakfast! (I just hope they don't expect this when they come and stay with us lol!)  From here we had to load the car of our things ready for the drive home.  Once the car was loaded and we had said goodbyes we headed to see my sister who lives about 8miles away.  This was great as we didn't get to see her over christmas due to ill health, so hubby didn't get birthday presents BUT christmas presents!!!  He actually got his birthday present on christmas day - my sister sent me some money to buy beers/cider for over christmas and 1 pack was hubbys birthday present.  Well after seeing my sister we nipped into my nans, not far from my sisters and stayed with her for an hour before we hit the road back home. Sadly hubby is the only driver and so he spent 5hrs of his birthday driving back home!

My inspiriation for today's pin is found here blue birthday cakes.  Due to being tired from a busy weekend of drinking and visiting and the long journey I will add a pic tomorrow of the small cakes I made for hubby.

January 10th 2015 - straw bear festival

JANUARY 10th 2015 - straw bear festival Whittlesey

As we are going back "home" for the weekend I will do tomorrows post today, and add the photos when we get back.  As well as seeing friends and family we decided we would go over to the straw bear festival in Whittlesey.

Every year Whittlesey holds a straw bear festival at the begining of January.  It's always very cold but alot of fun.  Dancers and dance troops of morris/molly dancers attend from all over the UK and dance in the streets and at pubs.  There is a bear made of straw (has a man in it) that also goes dancing round the streets and pubs, and sometimes a bear from Germany.  It is a brilliant atmosphere and great for the whole family. On the sunday after more dancing and fun the bear is burnt (without the man inside!)

Many of the dance troops wil get members of teh public involved with the dances and if your really lucky they will cover you  in facepaint (that they are already wearing!  the red leicester lot are the worst).  Also the German straw bear has a habbit of capturing young females and dancing with them, but as it dances it turns round and in doing so is tying you and it together with a rope, they then tend to fall over so that you are laid on top of them!!!   This happened to me many years ago, and I was in a florescent yellow/hi-vis jacket as I was with St John Ambulance who provide the first aid cover for it as we were based in whittlesey.

If you ever get the chance to go to the event I would suggest you do, but wrap up warm.   This pin is found here.     Take a look at the Straw Bear website and read the info and look at the pics.

Here are some of the photos I took, it was a dry and sunny but bitterly cold day.  We saw a few of our friends there as well as members of the family, which was great.  As it happens it was only me and hubby that went as the kids wanted to stay with their godmother (where we  were sleeping).

bear in a window

the straw bear

the chicken

the plough

dancers

dancers

dancers

January 9th 2015 - 2015 reading challenge

JANUARY 9th 2015 - 2015 reading challenge

I have downloaded and printed out the 2015 reading challenge,  I think this could be quite a challenge for some of the 50 books on the list as they are not what I normally like to read.

I have gone through the list and made a note of books that I have on my shelves (but not read) and also through the net for ideas like the book published in 2015 and an author under 30yrs old etc.  I will update and cross out books when I have read them.

The reading challenge can be found here.

the reading list so far - the blue are the planned books