Being a WAHM

I am sorry that I haven't managed to update my blog for a while. It has been incredibly hectic lately PLUS the weather has been very good, so have been out playing instead of working - beauty (and downfall) of being a WAHM.

Bubble London is fast approaching and there are still a million things to get finalized and done. It will get done but just have to make sure it gets done perfectly ! I am such a perfectionist that nothing gets decided unless I have gone through all options and made sure it is the perfect solution.... can be quite frustrating and tiring for people I work with but at least, I know final decision really is final.

Apart from getting Jakeandmaya ready, I have to also continue working on making sure Monsters and Munchkins is ok. Sourcing new stock and the marketing/PR side of things are all fun but so time consuming ! Currently organising some sales events around London, as well as some cool marketing strategies. Will keep you posted.

I really had no idea how much work starting a new online business and a new brand was going to involve when I decided to do it. I don't regret it for a second but it is so hard to stay on top of everything PLUS looking after the little ones. 24 hours is simply not enough hours in a day !

This is a typical day.

8-9am - wake up/breakfast.
9-11am - playtime with kids (in between twittering and checking/organizing orders)
11-12.30 - kids napping. I make lunch and catch up on a bit of work.
12.30-1pm - lunchtime.
1-5pm - kids play (and I work if they let me) or if weather good, we go out and play.
4.30-6pm - afternoon nap (if I am lucky). I work, cook and breath...
6-7pm - dinner
7-9pm - kids play (and I work if they let me) then bath-time and bed.
9pm onwards - un-interrupted work (and twitter).

When our day looks like above, that's when we are all the happiest but sometimes/often something un-expected needs to be done or happens, we just adapt and I have to make the most out of the after-9pm-hours for work.

Ps. Last week was terrible because sadly our dog got very ill and we had to spend a lot of time with her at hospital. The kids spent a lot of time at PIL's and needless to say, their routine was very interrupted and they turned into such little monsters and I didn't manage to get a thing done all week ! So this week, I will try and stay home with them as much as possible, to get them back on track ... and hopefully get myself back on track too !

Finally, must mention lovely DH in all this, who is always there when help (or a cuddle) is needed. Bless him !

Interested to know how other WAHMs organise their days !

Steamed Haddock Parcels

I love steamed fish parcels. It is easy, healthy and best of all, it leaves very little mess behind AND the little ones love it too.

- 1 Haddock fillet
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1 Sliced Clove of Garlic
- 1 Slice of Ginger
- 1/4 lemon
- Olive Oil
- Chopped Chives
- Salt and Pepper (optional)


Put fish in the middle of foil.
Add a few drops of olive oil.
Squeeze the lemon juice on top and add the rest of ingredients.
Wrap parcel together. Make sure the package won't leak and is properly sealed.
Steam for 10-15 mins.

Serve with steamed vegetables and rice or potatoes.

Ps. You can add vegetable shavings (carrots, courgettes etc.) in the parcel for extra flavour.

See, how easy is that ?!

Enjoy.

Super Easy Vanilla Cupcakes (That My Dog Ate)

Went out to get some bits-and-bobs for our stand at the upcoming Highclere Country Fair this morning, so we called in our baby-sitter for a few hours and went to get what we needed.

A very pleasant surprise was awaiting when we arrived back home with our fabulous purchases. Our home was spotless AND she had even made the little ones their lunch ! How wonderful !

Having no cleaning and feeding to do, I all of a sudden had some spare time... so I decided to bake some vanilla cupcakes. It was the easiest thing I could think of baking. In fact, it was so easy it only took about 5 mins to prepare !

225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
225g (8oz) caster sugar
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 tsb baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

-Preheat oven 175C (350F/Gas mark 4).
-Place 18 Paper baking cases in muffin tins.
-Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat with electric whisk until smooth and pale, about 2-3
mins.
-Spoon mixture into cases.
-Bake 20 mins.
-Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mins.
-Remove from tin and let cool on rack.

If you will have any left after "tasting" them, you can store them in air-tight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

In my case, I did not have any left to store, as my dog jumped up the counter and ate all (only left half + some crumbs) of them. Fortunately, I had a taste before the kids called me. Is it possible that they have some kind of conspiracy going ?

Chicken and Noddle Stir-fry

This is a dish that is easy, reasonably healthy and loved by the little ones.

When I run out of dinner ideas, this is always a safe bet.

Boiled noodles
Diced chicken breast
Finely chopped garlic, onion and ginger
Finely cut vegetables (I used courgette and broccoli here but sometimes also use carrots and peppers)
Sesame seeds
Sesame oil
Ground pepper
Parsley
Salt (optional)
Soy sauce (optional)

1,Boil noddles as per instructions.
2,Heat pan/wok. Add oil.
3, Add ginger, garlic and onions.
4, Brown chicken and add vegetables. Cook until tender.
5, Add noodles. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes on high heat.
6, Add sesame oil, peppar and chopped parsley.
7, Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and serve the little ones.
8, Add salt and soy sauce to taste and serve the grown-ups.

Ps. My little ones love eating this particular dish by themselves. Oh, the mess they make.... takes me longer to clean up than cooking it ! But then, my little ones are particularly messy eater.

Enjoy. x

Happy WAHM Feeling Bad

There are so many things happening in my life at the moment. There are about a million things to do for Monsters and Munchkins, I have to get Jakeandmaya SS10 collection ready for Bubble London, which is in a few weeks and on top of that my (and DH's) interior design company Y2DC is extremely busy at the moment too.

It is all very exciting and life is good but I feel bad.... for not being able to spend as much quality time with the little ones as I would like. Luckily they have each other, and spend a lot of time playing together but I really do wish I could do more things with them.

There are all these playgroups that I always intend to take them to but never have time to, and all these cool and fun places I want to take them... but also never have time to.... I just seem to spend a lot of time working (and on twitter... which is kind of work) !

I never realized what I was getting myself into when I one day, quite spontaneously, decided to start Monsters and Munchkins. I had an idea, I acted on that idea and here I am a year later.... having to figure out a way to balance work with looking after the little ones and making sure they are happy.

However, as much as I want to spend every single waking moment with the little ones, I am so grateful and happy that I am doing something for myself (ie. work... although, sometimes I do wish it was more like a massage or a facial !) and I think in truth, it is a good thing for them, learning to be "independent". I am not sure if it is becasue I am extremely lucky or because they don't know any different, as they very rarely "need" me. They are very happy on their own, doing their thing, leaving me to work.

The little ones are the inspiration behind my work. It is all because of them that I am doing what I am doing and it is because of them, that I love what I do. So, surely that means more than going to some silly playgroup, right ?!

Ps. They love trying clothes on, which is a big bonus, so we can spend time together working. (Note. See DD during a fitting session of toiles for SS2010 collection)

With so many WAHMs out there, I am definitely not the only one feeling the way I do but how do other people deal with their "guilt" and how do they balance work with looking after little ones ?

Motherhood - The Most Stressful Job In The World

No wonder so many mums have nervous breakdowns ! Being a mum/parent is so stressful !

Not only do we have to be there to feed them (what seems like 100 times a day) and keep them dry and clean but we also have to be there to teach them everything they are supposed to learn AND on top of all that, most importantly, keep them safe and away from danger.

Having little toddlers is great fun but definately isn't easy ! We have to watch them every single second, 24 hours a day ! You relax and look away for just one second and something can happen ... and with the two of them running around, this can sometimes be difficult.

In just a few hours DS managed to hurt his leg when getting it stuck to his bed, falling off a sofa, falling on his face when he slipped on the floor (blood was gushing out of his little nose !) as well as, falling off his new walker and banged his head. DD, she "only" cut her finger on a toy and almost choked on a pea at dinner.
I mean, how can so many little accidents happen in just one day ?! Thankfully, between all this, they had a couple of naps so I could de-stress .... but thank god the day is almost over, before something really bad happens !

From being possibly the most relaxed mum in the world, that believes in letting little ones get on with their "stuff", I can sense myself becoming more tense and nervous by the day. How much of a nervous wreck will I become by the time they are teenagers ??!

So this is why my MIL and mum are both over-protective of the little ones ? Because they have been there, done it and know what can happen when they look away ?

Easy Beef and Vegetable Stew

Root vegetables, stewing beef and not much else could be found in the fridge this evening.
Having no choice, I made beef stew... what else ?!

However, i did try to make it a bit more exciting by adding some interesting flavours to it...

Ingredients:
Stewing beef

Parsnips

Carrots

Onions

Garlic

Ginger

Bayleaves

Orange

Stock (unsalted)

Celery

Can of plum tomatoes

Rosemary

Water

Black Pepper

Sorry, no quantities specified but the idea is to just brown the meat, onion and garlic, add whatever chopped vegetables and seasoning you may have and cover with stock. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until meat is tender. About 40 mins.

I strongly advice you add an orange,as it gives lovely taste to the stew. Just cut in quarter, squeeze in the juice and put the rest in before adding stock.

For toddlers, cut the beef into small pieces before serving. Serve with rice and/or bread.

Ps. it is amazing how all those "unwanted" veggies taste so good in a stew ! A great way to clean out the fridge.