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Friendships are a funny thing and when you are little, they seem to be singularly the most important thing in your life (after cuddles with mom obviously)

I watch my eldest daughter and her friends and in some ways she is very much like me, she has different circles of friends but maybe that is because I have encouraged that. I remember when she was at pre-school and she had her first “best friend” and one day that best friend wasn’t there and she was bereft. So began one of life’s lessons, people aren’t always there when you need or want them to be.

Someone once told me that the older you get, the smaller the circle of your true friends and there is never a truer word spoken. I used to surround myself with lots of friends, I was always throwing a party for any occasion or even for no occasion and I became the one that “organised” getting everyone together. 

Then life likes to throw you a curve ball (as it always does) and different things took priority. Not priority over my friendships but over the responsibility of organising everyone.  That curve ball focused my outlook on a lot of things and a lot of people. It made me realise who my true friends were. Obviously, there are two possibilities here, either I changed or I didn’t really know who they were until that very moment. 

My family are the centre of my universe but my friendships stand important at their side. These are my true friends, the real friends, the ones you know, without question that you really can ring at 3am in the morning and they will be there. I am very lucky to have them and I hope that as my eldest daughter and they little one after her, grow up, they cherish good friends and don’t worry about the others. 

Easier said than done but I got there eventually. Have you?

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Can I just say, I am not growing a moustache. I repeat, I am not growing a moustache!

You cant fail to notice moustache's sprouting on faces all around the UK and this is because during November each year, Movember is responsible for  the growth of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world.  This may sound a little odd but The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

This might sound an odd topic for our usually fluffy family blog but men's health has to be important to us doesn't it as we all have dad's, grandad's, brothers, uncle's, cousins and friends who could be affected. Men arent usually as vocal as women regarding their health so I geniunely think this is an amazing way to openly support a great fundraising cause.

The Movember website tells us that "Each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. For the entire month each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache. .... A Mo Sista is essentially a woman who loves a Mo. An individual that is dedicated to supporting the Mo Bros in her life through their moustache growing journey; whether it be a friend, colleague, family member or partner. These inspirational women are committed to raising awareness of men's health issues and much needed funds for men's health along the way"

One of these inspirational "Mo Sista's" is my cousin and she is supporting her husband this month. So if you dont know anyone growing a moustache this Movember and would like to help, in any small way you can, my cousin and her husband would love your support!

For less than the cost of a bottle of wine, a packet of cigarettes or a takeaway, you could help make a difference.

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/3630937 

Image courtesy of Mumsclub.

I have zero tolerance of biting, whatever the reason, whether it be frustration or temper, I think it is unacceptable.

I remember many years ago when my eldest daughter bit her friend whilst on a play date, I was mortified. I will openly admit that I was very happy sitting on my moral high ground thinking that my daughter would never be "that" child, so I apologised profusely and in my fury, almost dragged my daughter down the stairs and frog marched her to the car and home.

She sobbed. Alot.

She never bit anyone ever again and her little friend will say to this date, some 4 years later, "that we don't bite because Auntie Donna doesnt like it" I think I must have made my point.

I always knew that she had bitten in frustration because she was the petite one, the cute one, the little one and she never had size or strength to win in an argument, so whilst I understood it still didnt mean I was more tolerant. Biting is something that children need to learn is unacceptable.

So fast forward 4 and a half years, right up to this morning when my youngest daughter was trying to move me out of the way and she bit me!

I squealed. Alot.

I looked down with a mixture of amazement and horror. Had my one year old really just bitten my leg? The bruise on my thigh confirms this to be true. I was gobsmacked. She has never been the petite or the little one (she is very cute though), so whilst I understood her inability to ask me to move but biting is unacceptable. She got sat down on the floor.

She cried. Alot.

Trying to instill discipline into a small child that has no concept that she may actually be hurting you is difficult. I am a firm believer in boundaries and discipline but at 14 months old, she isnt going to understand the naughty step or time out but I love this idea I found online. A woman wrote that she used this idea and it is so simple: "My daughter would bite when she was angry, sad...anything. I would look at her in the face after the bite and calmly say, "We don't bite. We HUG." I think this is lovely and whilst I hope that I dont have another biting experience, I can cope with a hug too.

We like hugs. Alot.

 

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Everyone loves Frankie and Bennys dont they? Its a fabulous old fashioned family diner style experience so when they told us that they were launching a new cocktail menu, we were delighted at the chance to try it. Let be honest, being a mum can be a juggling act between cooking family meals, getting kids ready for school and running the house, plus often working a full time job, it’s easy to see how many mums never get any "me" time. So we were told that Frankie & Benny’s has launched its new cocktail menu to encourage mums to take time out and sip on a delicious cocktail.  Sounded almost like a challenge to me!

The new cocktail menu has something for everyone, including non alcoholic cocktails ( which I hasten to add we didn't try as felt it would be a little insulting .... that's my excuse anyway!)

Anyone that knows me, laughs that I love a cheeky martini, so it was almost predicatable that I would go for the French Martini. The menu tells me that it is the ultimate in chic (a little like me then - ahem), a pink and frothy concoction comprising of Eristoff vodka, Chambord black-raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice. It wasnt a strong drink, it was refreshing and VERY moreish, which wasnt ideal at lunchtime!!

My gorgeous other half indulged with a Long Island Iced Tea, which was a combination of Eristoff vodka, Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire, Jose Cuervo tequila and triple sec shaken with fresh lemon juice and sugar, lengthened with Coca Cola. As a result of a bad experience with tequila during my mis-spent youth, I couldnt think of anything worse than a drink with tequila in it but he said it was delicious.

The majority of the cocktails are reasonably priced around £4.95 and my only complaint about the whole experience? That I had no one to look after the children so we could spent the rest of the afternoon and evening tasting the whole cocktail menu!

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