Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 26
September 11, 2014
Nights in with your nearest and dearest
While a night on the tiles can be just the ticket, so too can an entertaining evening in with your nearest and dearest.
If you fancy spending some quality time with your loved ones, make the most of relaxed weekend routines and consider the following ideas for fun-filled nights in with the family.
Treat the family to a takeaway
Why not enjoy a tasty takeaway from the comfort of your own home? Indulge in your favourite family takeaway and make dinnertime a doddle. Get somebody else to do the hard work with no worries about the washing-up.
From Chinese cuisine to pizza and pasta, get something delicious delivered direct to your door. There are plenty of healthy options available too so you needn’t worry about ruining diet plans or nutritional intakes for the sake of an occasional treat.
Get busy in the kitchen with the kids
You may be staying in, but you can still make a night of it. Why not try cooking together as a family and create the food from your favourite restaurant? Whip up a marvellous Mexican meal or cook up a southern fried storm to combine family fun with a practical activity. You can even make your own pizzas with help from supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s!
Children will love coming up with colourful and tasty toppings for various meals you make and will be in their element when getting to join in the kitchen activity.
Alternatively, you can put together a ‘help yourself’ buffet with bowls of bite-size snacks. McCain French Fries make a tasty side dish to add to your table of treats but you can also provide a selection of cold and hot snacks including salad vegetables, fruit salads, sausage rolls, chicken nuggets and even mini quiches.
Have a family film night
Kick back and relax from the comfort of your couch and enjoy an evening in with a few family films. Each person can pick their favourite film or choose the latest movies of the moment before you all settle back in your seat with some tasty snacks to share.
Get out some games
Most families will find a few forgotten board games hiding at the back of a cupboard. So why not dig around in your games drawer and spend some time playing a more traditional pursuit? Get the whole family together for a mammoth game of Monopoly or create a Scrabble super league.
Add a few prizes and penalties to introduce a little healthy competition and enjoy an alternative and entertaining evening in with your nearest and dearest. For tech-obsessed families, there are plenty of family and group games available on modern consoles – just make sure you have enough controllers to prevent arguments!
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Travelling abroad? Learn Smart Tips to Book Hotels Online
If you are reading this, then you probably are online at the moment and realize the importance of Internet. Well sure the Internet brings you all the information you need and helps you connect with the people who matter but most importantly, it helps you SAVE. Of all the methods of money saving that can be availed through the internet, one of my favourites is booking hotels online.
Holidays can be expensive, especially if you are someone who likes to stay at decent (or better) accommodations and likes to indulge in some exotic local food of the travel destination. But by using smart ways to book hotels online, you can save a lot of your hard earned money. So read on and be a Smart Traveller:
It is best to compare a reasonable number of hotel booking websites before you book your accommodation. Believe it or not, there can be a pretty huge price difference in the hotel booking prices offered by different platforms. Do not settle if you think you are being offered a ‘less than expected’ price but do more research and only then click PAY.
It is best to book hotels during the off-peak season. Most hotel booking providers offer much less rates during that time of the year which is off the charts for most travellers. Make use of this phase and save yourself even on the high end hotels.
Taking advantage of special offers and promotions on hotel booking sites is also a great idea to avail significant discounts. Be Smart and adjust your plans according to the offers, afterall travelling is much sweeter when it doesn’t result in a big hole in the pocket.
Availing travel vouchers and discount coupons can be a superb way to get discount on hotels when booked online. There are so many platforms which can offer you discount coupons for hotel bookings and one among them is Voucherbin Vouchers. This voucher website has the best deals and offers for hotel booking websites and can help you limit your spending.
Comparing different hotels before booking is also not such a bad idea. Booking online means having a wide variety of options at your disposal and you must make good use of this luxury.
So the next time you travel, don’t forget to book your hotel online and use these Smart suggestions.
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July 31, 2014
Four Ways To Reduce Food Waste
We’ve all put leftovers in the fridge and forgotten about them, only to discover them few days later looking slightly worse for wear. Nobody likes throwing away food; but sometimes we have no choice. Now, just imagine that if the few bits of food you throw away are multiplied by all the households in the UK. Suddenly we’re talking about mountains rather than morsels.
It’s estimated that the UK generates about 20 million tonnes of food waste every year. All of this goes into bins, is collected by the municipal waste collection teams, is transported around the UK and eventually emptied into landfill.
Just imagine how much space 20 million tonnes of food takes up and how much fuel and man hours it takes to move it. When you consider all of this, doing anything we can to reduce food waste becomes even more important. So, here are four ways to reduce food waste and cut down on what we throw away.
Organise
The main reason we end up throwing food away is due to poor organisation. Things get flung in the fridge, end up at the back and forgotten. Poor meal planning means we buy too much of one thing and simply watch it rot. With a bit more foresight, better planning and a good system of arranging the fridge and cupboards, you can cut back on waste.
Freeze
One way of using large amounts of food is to separate and freeze. If you’re only eating one chicken breast out of a pack of four, then why not individually wrap the others and freeze? The technology allows us to make better use of our food than ever before, and yet we still throw it away in record amounts. It doesn’t make sense.
Of course, sometimes all we can do is still not enough and food gets past its best. However, rather than throw away, food waste recycling presents another alternative.
Composting
Food waste can be composted with relative ease to make great fertiliser for the garden. You can either do this yourself in your outdoor spaces or take part in a wider food composting scheme, if you don’t have your own outside space.
Anaerobic digestion
Food waste contains a lot of energy that can be harvested. When fed into a digestion tank, the naturally occurring bacteria can be used to power an engine that generates electricity and heat. This might not seem plausible on an individual scale, but think how much potential energy there is in 20 million tonnes of food. Again, there are schemes and commercial enterprises that make this a possibility.
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July 24, 2014
How I make the perfect cup of Nespresso coffee – how do you like yours?
I love Nespresso coffee. Hagar bought me a Nespresso coffee machine and now, my morning coffee is pure heaven.
This is how I make my perfect cup of Nespresso coffee:
1.) Fill my mug 3/4s with skimmed milk
2.) Heat mug in microwave for one minute
3.) Put cup under Nespresso machine
4.) Dip hand in jar full of Nespresso pods to lucky dip pod
5.) Put pod in coffee machine
6.) Press button until coffee pours
7.) Zizz coffee with my zizzer
8.) Drink coffee heaven for breakfast
This is how Nespresso think you should do it:
How to Create the Perfect Cup of Coffee
The Beginning
The origin of quality coffee is the key to creating your perfect cup. Nespresso has a strict standard for quality, taste and aroma profiles, and therefore only source from 1-2-% of the worldwide coffee crop which meets this standard
Nespresso ensure their coffee maintains the highest quality aromas and taste by delivering the bean to the cup in their hermetically sealed capsules
Nespresso have a range of 22 Grand Crus to choose from, as well as constantly introducing new limited editions for Club Members.
Nespresso ensure there is a coffee to suit all tastes and occasions, whether a latte or a strong espresso shot is preferred, there is a Grand Cru to suit all coffee profiles
Keep your taste buds invigorated by mixing it up – explore the wide range of Nespresso Grand Crus to ensure you get to enjoy a broad range of tastes, textures and aromas
The Delivery
The unique extraction process of Nespresso machines coupled with the delivery of high quality coffee in the capsules, work seamlessly together
The machines’ manage the exact balance between water temperature, pressure, quantity and speed to achieve the fine art of coffee extraction
To ensure your machine is well maintained: rinse the machine with fresh water on one empty espresso cycle at a hot temperature to make sure the brew head is clean
ALWAYS follow the blend guidelines, making sure to not over extract the Grand Cru and thus spoil its aroma
Always use fresh, cold milk for any milk recipes
The Presentation
Pick the right cup for your coffee – Nespresso have a range of luxury accessories available to fit all preferred coffee styles and décor tastes
Always preheat the cup before serving for best serving results
When preparing a milk based coffee there are two different methods:
Pour the milk froth first and add the coffee afterwards: the Milk froth first preparation will provide a high quantity of shiny, creamy and not runny foam perfect for cappuccinos or latte macchiatos
Or pour the coffee first and add the milk froth on top: the coffee first preparation will provide a low creamy and runny foam quantity surrounded by a dark coffee halo, perfect for milk foam lovers who enjoy a latte, flat white or a cold coffee
How do you like yours?
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Fifty Shades of Grey Trailer – Buckle Up #Laters #Baby
Fifty Shades of Grey – In Cinemas Valentines Day 2015
Get ready to be tied up in knots baby….
Here are my reviews of the books in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy:
http://amodernmilitarymother.com/book-reviews/fifty-shades-darker-more-pudding
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July 21, 2014
Down @MazzardFarm #Devon #FamilyFun #MiniBreak
I like to live by the seat of my pants and completely over extend myself so whilst Hagar was in Canada I thought I need to get away from the wonderful chateau. As much as I adore living where I do, at the end of the day, I am nomadic and I just love to have an adventure wherever, and whenever, possible. I wanted to pop down to see my friend who lives nr Sidmouth, Devon so I headed on over to Alastair Sawdays to see what was on offer in the self catering department. My friend has had a rough few months as her cousin died recently and rapidly and I wanted to hang out with her, but not burden with myself and my two demanding children.
Sawday’s pointed me to Mazzard Farm and luck would have it, they had some availability for this very short notice weekend. As I can’t keep still for 5 minutes I had to rapidly re-shuffle what I had pending over the weekend. I then took the kids for their swimming lessons, attended a family fun evening at school which finished at 8pm. Once that was over then I rushed home and packed by throwing stuff into Lidl bags – I know, ‘classy’! I popped over to give my pigs some water and noticed that they had been truffling under their fence. I touched it and discovered there was no electricity charging the fence. Aaaargh!!! Panic - I quickly mustered the help of a friend who had a spare power unit and she expertly fixed the problem for me. I bundled the kids into the car and headed to the A303 only to discover that the it was bloody shut. I was beginning to think that I wasn’t destined to go!
Eventually I arrived at Mazzard Farm, Nr Ottery St Mary, Devon at 11.30pm at night. Ruud, the owner, very kindly waited up for me to check me in. The kids immediately fell in love with Quarendon Cottage, (named after the gorgeous Devonshire Quarenden Apple) our home for the next three nights.
The cottage overlooks a central communal courtyard, suitable for playing children that leads down through an orchard, to some woodlands, to a play area with a wooden climbing frame and a large teepee, and fire pit surrounded by log seats. It’s idyllic, safe and fresh air-tastic.
The cottage is on two floors. Downstairs there is a large living room, kitchen dining room which has ample room to cater for 6. Upstairs there is a shower room, bunk room, twin bedroom, a double bedroom and a bathroom. All calmly, stylishly and functionally decorated to provide clean, fresh living. The eco-friendly cottage is well equipped with wifi, TV, DVD player.
There are some lovely touches too – all the bathrooms have local, luscious, handmade soap and shampoo, and downstairs in the communal laundry the freezer is stocked to buy with croissants, pain au chocolat, local butter, and you can also buy Mazzard Farm apple juice and handmade soaps.
After a great night’s sleep, despite a thunderstorm, my local friend advised that we head on over to Escot about a 10 minute drive from Mazzard Farm.
Escot is a unique experience for all lovers of nature and the great outdoors, and offers a great family day out. Set in 220 acres of stunning private parkland in the heart of East Devon, Escot is a refreshingly uncommercial, award-winning visitor attraction that you will want to return to again and again. Home to the Kennaway family for over 200 years the Escot of today is setting new standards in recreation with its exciting open access red squirrel encounter where we were up close to these adorable creatures, world-class maze, birds of prey displays, otters and wild boar, unique (and scary!) woodland drop slide, saxon village, indoor playbarn and woodland play areas. Known as the natural place for good reason, there were peacocks and guinea fowl roaming free and chickens! The magnificent champion trees and woodland paths through daffodils, bluebells and rhododendrons were truly beautiful. We stayed for hours and it was a fantastic day out.
We headed back to Mazzard Farm for the night and the kids fed the goats and hung out in the grounds until darkness fell.
The next day we were beachward bound to Sidmouth, about 10 minutes drive from Mazzard Farm. Despite the terrible weather the forecast, the weather did that Devon thing and shone all day over Sidmouth Beach. I met my friend and her family, equipped with kayak and BBQ. Forewarned that it was a pebble beach, I made sure that we all had suitable footwear so that we could stumble with wobbly knees across the rocky shore. We set up base and the kids, paddled, swam, dug holes, counted rocks and played all day overlooking a flat calm sea and a perpendicular horizon. It was magnificent.
At 9pm we headed back to Mazzard Farm for hot drinks and baths before bedtime. It was an early start on the Monday to get the kids to school on time and yes for the record I was 30 minutes late. But we all agreed that we had the most marvellous weekend and mini-break at Mazzard Farm, nr Ottery St Mary, Devon.
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July 17, 2014
Coffee is the New Business Currency in the UK
It’s the Small Perks that Make a Happy Workforce
At a time when employees are working longer hours and feeling more stressed, new research shows just how much small perks play an important role in improving the daily work life of employees. Nearly nine in 10 (87%) UK workers state that small perks in the office (such as high quality coffee, fresh fruit and snacks), are crucial to retaining good staff.
The research, commissioned by Nespresso,reveals that coffee lovers expect quality coffee both at home and in their workplaces – even with a growing cafe culture in the UK, where quality coffee is not only more available but more in demand than ever. The recent research findings reinforce the UK as a nation of coffee connoisseurs, with more than one quarter (26%) of UK workers stating that they assess the quality of a company by the standard of coffee it provides. Could this mean coffee is the new business currency in Britain?
With a quarter (25%) of UK workers explaining that high quality coffee at work would improve their daily work life to a great extent and a staggering one in nine (11%) stating they would reject a job offer based on the coffee provided at an interview; it reinforces quality coffee as a ‘must have’ in contributing to a happy UK workforce.
Findings show that in a world of corporate email communications, where one in ten (10%) UK workers say that they do not feel valued at all by their employer, the provision of small perks such as quality coffee in the office encourages employee interaction and increases employee engagement and are therefore more important than ever.
1. 7 in 10 (68%) say that they find out more about what’s going on in their company from conversations around the kettle
2. Three in ten (28%) have made an important business decision on a coffee break
3. One in nine (11%) would reject a job offer based on the coffee provided at an interview
4. The provision of high quality coffee (70%) ranks highly – second only to ergonomic office equipment (81%) in terms of the perks most likely to help workers feel valued by their employer to at least some extent
5. One in four (26%) say that they assess the quality of a company by the standard of coffee it provides
6. One quarter (25%) say that high quality coffee at work would improve their daily work life to a great extent
7. Nearly nine in ten (87%) say that small perks are important in retaining good staff
8. Two in five have had a creative idea (41%) or solved a difficult problem (36%) on a coffee break
9. Three fifths (61%) say that having a coffee is an important part of British business culture
10. Four in five (78%) say that it is important to offer good quality coffee to visitors and clients
Research was conducted by ComRes and commissioned by Nespresso. For full research findings, please visit: www.comres.co.uk
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July 16, 2014
Do Diet Pills Work?
If I had a super power it would be that I could eat as much as I want and not get fat. Or maybe it would be that I would have abs like steel but I didn’t need to work out? Or maybe it would be that at a twitch of my nose I could tidy my house and file or all my paperwork? I dream of being slimmer, fit, healthy, tidy and in control of the hamster wheel of chaos that currently is my life.
My lack of discipline and love of crisps threatens my ever-increasing waistline. I do manage to lose a few pounds and then I gain them right back with a boozy night nurtured the next day with warm, milky coffee and luscious, creamy carrot cake. I have never actually considered using diet pills before but I am wondering if something that helps curb my appetite or limits my carb intake, reduces my fat absorption could be the solution. Garcinia Cambogia is a popular ingredient in many diet pills at the moment with many sellers making wild claims. I read a critical review of one such product on HealthyCompare.com.
According to the NHS website diet pills are not the sole solution. There isn’t a magic pill that can be taken every day that will dramatically reduce your waistline and lessen the load on the scales and yet still continue to fill your face with cake and slouch on the couch. All of the research indicates that diet pills can accelerate weight loss if taken as part of a balanced diet with a regular exercise regime. I think it needs further examination because these pills don’t come without side effects. But to be honest what change doesn’t come without side effects. There are side effects to eating too much fried food, cakes and drinking alcohol too. Perhaps cake should come with a government health warning ‘a minute on the lips and a lifetime on the hips’ or even ‘little pickers leads to bigger knickers’.
So all I need to do really is eat more healthily, exercise more, manage my business well, write to all my copy deadlines, raise well-behaved, thoughtful children and stay on top of the housework. I wonder if there is a pill that will help me manage all that. It feels like a diet pill are not enough what I really is need ‘a get your life in order’ pill. I wonder where you buy those?
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July 14, 2014
Real Life: Boiling in BATUS and Deadline-tastic
Hagar’s gone to Canada for three weeks to boil on the prairie with the tankies. He’s going to be working flat out in sweltering heat; but at least no-one is shooting at him. However, driving a desk is never as much fun as driving a Chinook. This is the way it rolls in his line of work though so onwards and upwards.
The kids break up in 10 days for the school holidays. I have exactly 10 days to finish my long list of articles that I need to write for the inaugural edition of A Local Life so far we have lined up:
- Angela Rippon and her dimentia role
- Local business man and my old school mucker, Terry Hillier on how he has achieved his rapidly growing empire
- A Man with Mission – interview with Mark Mortimer, headmaster of Warminster School
- A Woman with a Vision – interview with Sarah Edwards, headmistress of Kingdown School
- Behind the Scenes at Nespresso – I popped over to Lausanne, Switzerland and learnt everything and more about coffee production
It’s going to be a bumper edition.
Of course, instead of starting the articles, obviously I have decided to write a blog post instead. But I miss blogging and I am currently touring the WIs of Wiltshire with my talk on A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline and I miss how I used to chronicle my life with humour and sarcasm. But the more professional writing assignments I pick up the more the blog is a luxury to write.
Things have settled down with the kids and they don’t wreak havoc in quite the same way. Now, they just bicker eternally with each other. The Grenade, now 11 years old, has a very literal take on the world. He challenges every day perspectives; although he has never been formally diagnosed it is apparent that he sits on some kind of spectrum. This week he refused to wear odd socks to school today for ‘odd sock day’ on two grounds: 1.) Socks are not numerical, therefore, can neither be odd, nor even 2.) There is nothing peculiar about socks as the function of the sock is to cover the feet. Therefore, for those reasons, he’s out.
The Menace has just learnt my mobile phone number off by heart and is now phoning me every 5 minutes to tell me:
1.) That she is alright
2.) That she misses me
3.) That she loves me
4.) That she is worried about me and she just wanted to check if I am ok
5.) That she doesn’t think I am going to make it
All delivered with a slightly over-dramatic sincerity, which is still amusing, for now. Although I can see my patience wearing thin over time. Especially as I can envisage her phoning me from downstairs whilst I am upstairs.
The weather is delightful and where we are living has come into its own. The Menace has finally mastered her bike and is addicted to bike rides. I am chuffed because we live on one of the Wiltshire cycleways and can now cycle as a family to local riverside spots for picnics and paddling. On Sunday, after we waved Hagar off, we jumped on our bikes and cycled to the river, where the kids paddled and played and I basked in the sunshine on the riverbank. It was idyllic apart from the fact that the kids bickered all the way to the river, bickered at the river about whose turn it was on the swing, and then bickered all the way home again. The still, silent soundtrack free photos make it look like the perfect day out!
The second book is coming along nicely it is a compilation of all my writing over the years and opens with a moving, prologue written by mother, three months before she died. It includes my diary from 13 years, 15 years, a few letters that I wrote but didn’t send, my diary of a trip around India, my honeymoon diary of our trip to South Africa and Mauritius, some pregnancy diary posts, and some articles and blog posts chronicling the times post the trial. Hagar and I are still separated but it’s working so well, I wouldn’t have it any other way at the moment. I couldn’t be who I am as a person, mother, a journalist or writer and still live in the shadow of military life. I couldn’t give talks to WIs that challenge perceptions of military spouses. Hagar and I don’t always see eye-to-eye on how business should be done. This gives me the freedom to disagree. The military is still an old fashioned, patriarchial, draconian, nepotistic place. It’s not easy for Hagar to exist in this unorthodox, unconventional status quo but he bravely accepts it and goes forward. Bizarrely, our separation makes us stronger.
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July 4, 2014
The school your kids will want to go to this summer…
It seems like it was only last month the children were off school and on the summer holidays. And yet, another year has come round just as soon.
Thinking of ways to entertain the little bundles of joy can be as difficult as it is to keep the house clean with them running around at home. So how about taking them out on a day visit to their favourite school?
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Kids’ favourite summer school
It was a film even the parents enjoyed watching. Now it’s time to take up the opportunity of a lifetime and visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour. See the sets used for filming, exclusive behind the scenes clips of the actors, the making of Harry Potter and of course, the highlight of the tour: the beautiful model castle.
This impressive grand finale to the magical Harry Potter Experience is a perfect 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts Castle, with such intricate and exquisite detail that it’s hard to leave without feeling enchanted.
The castle
The work that went into bringing the fairy-tale School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to life was so extensive that should the hours that went into building and reworking be added up, it would come to over 74 years! And the end result is a once in a lifetime chance to visit the real Hogwarts. Take a look at a 360° simulation of the masterpiece on the Warner Brothers website wbstudiotour.co.uk.
Every door is hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are used in the Owlery. The 50-foot model has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even give the illusion of students passing through the hallways.
No other model experience in Britain has the same attention to detail designed to delight, dazzle and throw all Harry Potter fans and every adult with a sense of adventure and wonder into a state of delirium.
Reviews from over 10,000 people on TripAdvisor have rated the experience as a five star event and said that the model castle “was the cherry on the cake of a wonderful day out.”
Events
As well as offering a range of great features all-year round, the Warner Bros studio tour is also know for hosting a series of special events and exhibitions. These usually coincide with major holidays – such as Halloween and Christmas – but there have also been animal meet-and-greet sessions where visitors have had the chance to get to know the animal stars of the franchise.
You can find details of upcoming events at the studio on their website but for a rough idea of what you can expect, this article on TimeOut from last September highlights some of the main features of last year’s Halloween spook-tacular.
The right choice
So, whether you’re looking for something different to do with the kids or want to find a way to keep Potter-mania under control, the Warner Bros Studio Tour is for you.
The atmosphere, detail and effort gone into the Harry Potter Studio Tour will make this a truly magically day out, not just for the kids, and not just for the die hard Potter fans, but for everyone.
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