Magpie Monday - Car Boot scorcher!

Our local boot sale was mobbed on sunday - swarms of bargain hunters lured out by the glorious weather and keen to make up for lost time: it hasn't been on for weeks because the field was a mud bath. Remember that? Remember all the rain? Freaky how quickly things change.

I'd say as car boots go, this is a pretty civilised one: it starts at 2, though most regulars are there way before that - then it's manic for a few hours and pretty much over by four.

We didn't stay long, too sizzling hot...but long enough for some happy finds AND a moment of fluttery excitement when I spotted this familiar 70's treehouse across a crowded trestle table. I'm showing my age here - does anyone else remember them? The top pushes down and there's a lift in the trunk.

.

No figures or furniture with it, but the treehouse was only 50p.

50p for a lovely old classic vintage toy. Brilliant.

As usual the kids weren't quite as excited about it as me - but they do like car boots, or maybe they've just got used to them... Honestly though, they know the score now and know they can get more for their pocket money - they are little magpies in the making.

My 7 year old found this bubbly paperweight to add to his growing collection......not the most obvious choice, but it's got to be better than pokemon or match attax cards??

And we're going to have to start using table placemats, because I found these vintage ones and I LOVE them. One pound for all four.

Keeping the best bargain for last....

...maybe not the most inspiring bundle ever, but it saved me a pile. My eldest has just joined a cricket club and we got pads, a helmet, gloves and the cricket bag for ten pounds - couldn't have been happier! If he loses interest it's not going to matter so much :)

Plenty more second-hand sizzlers over at Magpie Monday 

Why not pop over and take a look?

Silent Sunday 27/5/12

Day 184 - Banana with lemon drizzle cake

I found these sad boys at the bottom of my (very large) bag.

I'd put them in days ago, when we were charging round in the midst of birthday parties, then piled more stuff on top, as you do, and completely forgot about them. So they were a bit squashy and unappealing....and perfect for CAKE!

Now I've a great banana bread recipe I got from a magazine. All my scrappy cuttings end up in a rather lovely, carefully organised box; but not carefully organised enough for me to find the blinking banana bread recipe.

So I turned to to the ever reliable Mary Berry, and found Banana with lemon drizzle cake in her cookbook, One Step Ahead.  Sounded perfect and I just happened to have a rather sad looking lemon....

Honestly it's a little gem. A delicious, easy little gem.

For a start all the ingredients go in one bowl - 175g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 300g self-raising flour, 2 level teaspoons baking powder, 2 mashed up bananas (I used all three - didn't seem right to leave one out) grated zest of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of milk and 175g softened butter.

The butter was so soft I mixed it all with a wooden spoon and then just poured it into a lined 8 inch cake tin.

So quick.

Pop it into the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees C/gas 5 until light golden brown and test with a skewer. While the cake's cooling a bit, mix 100g sugar and the juice of one lemon and spread it all over the top.

It's had a big thumbs up from the kids, even my Banana Avoider. 

It smells of bananas and tastes of bananas, yet he's the first to ask for more.

Anything goes when it looks like cake.

Listography - Top 5 things I love about kids

So therapeutic to have happy thoughts about children, after a week of parties, screaming, presents, more screaming and a small cake-overload-sick-episode. 

Two of mine have just had birthdays very close together, and thinking about Kate's great listography theme has helped restore some sense of calm....

So here are my five:

I love the way kids....

live in the moment: No dwelling on what happened last week or worrying/thinking about something that hasn't happened yet (unless it involves presents) - for children it's the day, the hour the minute they're in that matters. I waste so much time going over and over things I've done that I can't change, and if I'm not doing that, I'm focused on what's happening next. Ok, there's got to be some forward planning or the wheels come off, but wouldn't it be great to spend more time like the kids, enjoying the moment, rather than wishing it away?

adapt: Children can be incredibly good at coping with change. I think we often underestimate how good they are at it. I've worried myself sick about how the kids will deal with a move or a new school, but they seem to take it in their stride. Change can get harder as they get older and question things more, but mine still amaze me: their dad is away for months on end and they just get on with it. I'm so proud of them.

...are endlessly enthusiastic: How is it possible to be that enthusiastic about school dinners, playing football in the rain, sparkly shoes, collecting eggs or stodge pudding for tea?  They find the greatest pleasure in the simplest things: their enthusiasm is infectious, and I wouldn't change it for the world.  Even at fever-pitch party levels.  Of course there are plenty of things they're not enthusiastic about, like homework, washing, listening...

build dens: They spring up all over our house, usually in really awkward places, like behind the kitchen door or in front of the telly. But this is where the magic happens; where their imagination runs wild.  Whether it's a cave, a castle, a spy's hideout, or in this case, a secret present bunker - there's no limit to the worlds they make up. And obviously what's sneaked into a den instantly becomes invisible to grown-ups - though a sprinkling of crumbs and the odd wrapper are always a bit of a giveaway. Kids are useless at hiding the evidence.

leave you lost for words: Whether it's something they say,

"..do babies have clothes on when they come out of your tummy?"

or things they do...

They have an amazing ability to surprise you, disarm you, leave you speechless when you're least expecting it. One of the greatest joys of children is you never know what's coming next.

What do you love most about kids?

Lots of fab top fives over at Kate's 

The Gallery - Picture Postcard

Watching the sunset

warm french air

no distractions

children sleeping

silent, still,

husband and 

wine beside me.

The show is magical,

light changes so fast

colours getting deeper,

richer, brighter.

And I wonder why

I don't let myself 

stop

more often

and see 

what's always there.

I want to catch 

this moment

and send it home.

So I take a picture

as the show ends.

A reminder of 

the beauty

and the peace.

This week's Gallery theme is Picture Postcard

Magpie Monday - Two sheets to the wind

Always good to find something during a charity shop rummage that you actually need, as opposed to want (because it's lovely and a bargain...) I've been looking for some decent fitted sheets for my daughter's bed, and found these pretty flowery ones last week. They're new, but the packaging looks old, and at £2.50 each I really had to get both of them. 

Turns out the sheets are from America and they're a little bigger than the others I have. This is perfect as they don't seem to creep up the sides of the bed or ping off after a night with a fidgety, restless five year old.

So back to buying things I want but don't need...

...but they were only 50p! I think they're small place and glass mats, and there's so much work in each one - all the flowers are hand embroidered. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them, (hankies? though don't really use them, or small doll's sheets?) but felt they just had to come home with me.

These necklaces came home too. The green and brown glass beads are for my mother-in-law, because I know she likes these colours. The shell one...well it was a bit of an impulse buy. Easy to be impulsive when there's a 25p price tag.

I'm keen on shells, but haven't quite decided if the necklace is good different or bad different...suppose I could always take the shells off?

I'm linking up with Magpie Monday. Go take a look! 

Silent Sunday 20/5/12