A truly wonderful weekend!

The weather this weekend was glorious, it was so wonderful not to wear a coat! On Saturday we did the normal dancing lessons and food shopping. I did some sewing during the day too, finishing a tricornu and a landry bag to keep Sullivan's cloth nappies in.

On Sunday we all went to Ilfracombe and Jez went out in the gig boat (they had a race last week and came third! My photo's of last weeks events are here) for a training session. Emilia, Madeleine, Sullivan and I wandered around the harbour watching the men rowing and then we went to Ilfracombe Aquarium. It's a great attraction, not expensive. Small but really interesting. The girls love it there, I think we might get a season ticket this year.

I apologise for the order of the photos...

This character is on a boat on the river Lyn. Can you guess who he is meant to be?

This cheeky robin came to greet us as we finished the walk from The Valley of The Rocks down to Lynmouth. He actually posed for photos! If I's had any food with me I'm sure he would have taken it from my hand. We always say 'Hello Grandad' when we see a robin, Mum knows why xxx

We all really enjoyed our walk, I think we walked about 2 miles up and down hill. I plan to get fit this year and yesterday was day one! The girls hardly moaned at all, I think we need to get them some walking boots and then we can do more.

The Valley of the Rocks is populated by wild goats. They are very cheeky and funny to watch. These two were on a ledge above us as we walked down the coast path. They regarded us as if we were intruding on their patch! (I suppose we were...)

This is at Ilfracombe Harbour, Emilia was racing down to meet Daddy as the gig boat came back in. Both the girls helped push the gig back up to the lock up.

Here they are, my beautiful girls. We were watching the men row out to sea as we sat at the very end of the harbour wall, these steps actually lead into the sea, needless to say I didn't let Sullivan out of the back pack!

Here's my recent FO, a knitted boob! I'm going to make 1 for each of us in our La Leche Peer counselling team, the pattern is here. Before I sewed it up it looked like a little hat - I can just see a newborn wearing a booby hat! Haha! The yarn is Rowan Calmer and Wool cotton, it hardly took any yarn at all. I knit the boob in the round so I didn't have to sew it up.

I received my Ravelry £10 swap parcel today, I'll upload photo's tomorrow but I'll leave you knowing that I am overwhelmed by the kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity of my swap partner.

I hope you are able to enjoy the glorious spring sunshine,

Ali xxx

Lactation Cookies....

Now, the name doesn't really sound appetising does it? Be honest. I'm thinking more along the lines of Boobie Biscuits or Milky Munchers :) These are cookies made and eaten to help along your supply of breastmilk, I find mine often lessens aound the time of the month and Sullivan compensates by feeding more often. Which does its job of increasing supply :) Breastfeeding is a circular thing.

These biscuits are yummy - everyone likes them, not just me. I'm going to add chopped dried apricots to my next batch which I am making to take to the PCP on monday afternoon. I plan to research more about how these ingredients help boost your supply and I'll post anything I find here. I find anything to with breastfeeding amazing...:)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies -by Noel Trujillo

yields 4.5 dozen

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup backed brown sugar
4 TBSP water
2 TBSP ground flax seed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour 1
tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips (or 1 cup of any thing..nuts, or other chips..or a combo adding up to 1 cup) 2-4 TBSP brewer’s yeast

Preheat oven to 350 f /190c

Mix the flax seed and water, let sit for 3-5 mins

Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well

Add eggs and mix well

Add flax and water mix and vanilla, beat well

Sift in flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, salt, and mix.

Stir in oats and chips.

Drop spoonfulls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 mins.



I have been knitting, I'm making Emilia 'Linnet' from The Rowan Storybook of Little Knits. She chose the pattern and I am enjoying making it. I'm starting a love affair with Rowan's Kid Silk Haze, oh help!

Fancy joining me for the 10,000 step weight loss challenge? Apparently if you walk 10,000 steps a day you burn off 1lb of body fat a week! Get yourself a pedometer and join me :) I'll log today's steps tomorrow.

Have a great evening and I'll see you all again tomorrow

Ali x

*edit*

My total steps yesterday was 8558, which equates to 2.553 miles. I've already done 6679 steps today and it is only 10 O'clock! I have been for a walk around the park for about 1/2 hour, really enjoyable looking at the cyan blue sky and the burnished gold leaves of the Horse Chestnut trees. I feel energised :)

Blimey, almost 2 months!

Mr Nuff and the girls made a car out of a cardboard box, Sullivan attempted and succeeded to pull the wheels off!

I took the kiddlywinks to Stonehenge on our way back from escaping kitchen mess! Can you tell it was slap bang in the middle of our glorious summer? ;-)
I'm not sure Sullivan saw much but his bunny got a good chewing!

I've made some socks (still need to finish the second Spring Forward - Knitty.com summer 08), the yarn is Natural Dye Studio Merino Tencel, gorgeous, simply gorgeous!

The ones below are my 'learn to knit two socks at a time' pair. They'll fit Mr S soon - especially as he is crawling like a dynamo and managed to climb the stairs yesterday...! He's 10 months now.

Gosh, I didn't realise it had been so long since I blogged. I bet you've all given up on me! Life chez Faerynuff has been very busy. Mr Nuff has been creating a wonderful new kitchen for me all summer, I now have duck egg blue units and bright red gloss worktops! As well as fantastic double oven which actually cooks and a 5 ring hob with wok ring (still waiting for my new wok though darling Mr Nuff...)

Emilia and Madeleine have both settled well into their new schools, unfortunately it appears that Emilia has managed to get another dopey teacher. Poor girl, it's so unfair. No school photos yet, the pics are on my phone and I've lost my baby card reader.

I'm doing well, just started training to be a La Leche League Peer Supporter, I'm really looking forward to helping other mums have a good and rewarding time breastfeeding their children.

I started Slimming world last night, I'm 11st 4lbs and am looking to be 9st 13lbs as that is what I was when I got married - I need your support as chocolate keeps calling me!

Well, off to get Maddie from school now, I'll update again soon and I'll post the photos that have been requested :)