All the small things

Starbucks recently came up with the most brilliant marketing ploy I've heard of in a long time. Now instead of just marking down which syrup/milk/extra shot you've requested, they write your name on the cup with a black sharpie. How cute is that!? Not only does it mean your coffee is always completely personalised, but it means the barister who is shortly going to replace my favourite one (who just landed his dream job!) will learn my name quicker. You don't get that at costa! It's the little things, people!

To introduce their new standards, Bucks were giving away free latte's before noon today, since I will only take my coffee strong and black, I asked the barister very nicely if he could pretend I asked for a latte and give me an americano instead. I figured that by not getting frothed up milk in it I was totally saving the company money, and so he said yes! So, I got my too-hot-to-drink americano with my name scrawled on it for free. Result!

Plus, I have serious love for sharpie pens, so the fact that the clever folks at Starbucks have incorporated them into my coffee time, will totally keep me loyal (costa visit this afternoon aside!)

If I was a really good blogger, I would've taken a picture, but it was 11.20, and I'd not had my first caffeine fix of the day, so, to be totally honest, it didn't even cross my mind!

Seriously though, little happies like my name hand-penned on a cup and free coffee, make Nat a happy girl.

It's been a good day.

The rhythm of life has a powerful beat

I seriously think I should live in a musical. Lately, I seem to be getting worse, I am singing like all of the time. Sometimes, it'll be in my head or really quietly under my breath, but more and more I am just bursting out in song whenever the mood takes me. Sometimes it is quite inappropriate. Like when I'm in Asda and my little ones point out that their favourite song is playing, instead of quietly mouthing the words like I used to, I actually full on sung it with them, cutesy little dance antics thrown in too, just for good measure. It wasn't even a quiet time either, the store was packed! I think HH was probably glad I'd gone solo on that particular day.

I used to think my Grandad was a living jukebox, if someone said something (anything) to him, he'd have a song come to mind and immediately sing at least an entire verse, complete with dance steps. The house was rarely silent, because he'd always be singing! When we were younger, we used to try and think up things to tell him that no way would he know a song about. I don't think we ever suceeded though, the guy was always singing. see, it's totally genetics that made me this way :)

I was watching 'New girl' last night (are you guys watching that yet? Too funny.) and they might've just modelled zooey's character Jess, on me. She just sings whatever's in her head at the time no matter where she is or what she's doing, it's cute; but it's cute because it's a TV show. I think I'm erring on the side of quirky not cute. Clearly, I have issues.

Maybe I miss performing in musicals, or maybe I'm just watching too much Disney- Hannah Montanna and High School Musical has a lot to answer for!

Sometimes the internet is a noisy place.

I found a little bit of self control this weekend, and took a little hiatus from Facebook, twitter and the blogosphere. I was just feeling like I was using them a bit much and talking a lot- it's a bit of a giveaway when your twitter timeline is mostly your own updates!

But also, because of the platform it gives us, social media can get quite noisy- so many voices saying so much about so many different things. Sometimes I just need to cut the unnecessary noise and words out. It was hard to begin with, especially when my rather animated 6month old screwed her nose up, yanked out her soother and threw it to the ground in protest because actually she has decided she is a thumb sucker these days- I got the cutest picture of her, and used up a lot of discipline not to hit 'tweet', but I did it!

Now that the break is done with though (it's been three whole days!) I'm kinda not sure what to say to 'break the ice'. Weird huh? Still, Dancing on Ice is on tonight, so if by then I haven't thought up anything profound to say, I can probably find something to comment about that! :)

So, did I miss much while I was gone?

So I blinked and then it was Wednesday.

It has been a pretty hectic start to the week in the little lady household to say the least! We've celebrated two birthdays, hosted a baby shower and made preparations for the St. David's day parade tomorrow. Well, actually, I use the term 'perperation' rather lightly, since what I actually mean is that I spent all day today chasing my tail trying to scout a welsh lady costume and failed. Thankfully, one of my girls had some compassion and sourced one. This saves Quarters from going to school wearing the 'I heart halfpenny' shirt I was going to proudly make for her.

See, lest you think Mrs smith has it all together, I assure you, she does not!

As evidenced by this story...
Today I took my 6month old shopping with my brother, only to arrive there and realise I'd not brought Scarlette's bottle with us and her feed was due VERY soon. Since the place we were shopping at was an outlet place, there were no baby stores or drugstores to buy any formula, however, there was indeed a thorntons. So I used my mama-initiative and bought the only thing almost suitable for a 6month old who's just started weaning- a block of white chocolate. I broke off teeny tiny pieces and watched as baby girl turned into a chocoholic right before my eyes. (I only gave her a quarter bar mind!) But still, There's no turning back now folks.

It's a good job I've mellowed out quite a bit, if anything like that had happened with baby number one, I would've had crazy palpitations and had to come back home where I probably would've stayed. Anyhow, we cut the trip short and headed to the nearest Asda where sweet baby girl got some nutritionally balanced baby food, and mama got a heavy carb-loaded pasta salad, just to you know, take the edge off my epic mama fail.

Fact is though, we were okay. We survived, nothing bad happened and by the time we had driven home in the beautiful spring sunshine, Scarlette was sleeping soundly, happy and content. And after having a word with myself to fix up, I let it go. Learning curve and all that jazz... I'm starting to learnt that sometimes you will drop the ball, but when said ball hits the floor, just wait til it bounces back up again, and all will be well.

And while we're at it, I should probably note that today I did the school run in pink converse instead of stiletto's, and guess what? Nothing bad happened!  Well, other than the obligatory 'gosh you're actually really little' comments, but since we were five minutes late anyway, even those weren't as many as there could've been!

And it's alright, because tomorrow will be 'another day: another chance to get it right!'

Today in Numbers

3 : The time sweet baby Scarlette woke me up this morning.

5: The number of cups of coffee so far consumed.

22: text messages sent... I think I have a problem...

71: minutes it took to do this week's cluster material.

2: loads of laundry done.

4: the number of times I've checked twitter.
   (Also the number of phonecalls I've taken)

8: Months today I will be getting serenaded live by Ed Sheeran.

380: Kcalories consumed.

2: the number of times I've listened to Taylor Swift's album.

It's nearly Friday...

And I love me some friday feeling! So because I'm soooo over Thursdays, here's some 'happies' I heart as much as I heart Fridays.

1. I heart the new bottle of 'high beam' highlighter I got. It does awesome things to my cheekbones.

2. I heart winter fashion. I am practically living in knee high boots and cute coats, since I know spring will break soon and then it'll be back to pastels. Yawn.

3. I heart text messages. Especially to the girl in Reading, who cracks me up every single day.

4. I heart that my lil brother buys enough peroxide to touch up my re-growth- totally saves me money AND I get brotherman time too. Winning!

5. I heart twitter. Maybe a little too much. It's so handy though, my tweeties totally came through for me this week about dresses, calories, fashion advice and a tonne of other stuff.

6. I heart that we are learning some new songs for church at music practice. And I heart that we are doing old songs, new ways.

7. On that note, I heart singing. Especially whilst driving or doing my hair, although for some reason, I feel the need to sing louder when stopped at traffic lights. I'm pretty sure I entertain whoever is stopped next to me, but that's okay.

8. I heart scarlette-bear's smiles first thing in the morning. Totally makes getting out of bed a teensy bit easier.

9. I heart the way the big girls know every single word to one direction's new song- one thing. Caits even busts out a few moves when the mood takes her. Adorable.

10.  I heart teasing the boy about football not being a real sport. Too funny.

11. I heart that my 'in-betweeny' jeans are too big. Oh yes they are. Go me!

12. I heart carbs (which is why number 11 is a huge deal!) I should just move to Paris, near a bakery, and be done with it.

13. I heart how easily I came up with this list!

Happy Friday-eve!

The Rose

When I was about 14, nothing got me in more of a funk than the onset of valentine's day. It was what became of being the guys'  best friend, confidante, and mediator- Always the one advising how to do their hair on a date, and never getting to be the one to go. Always passing on phone numbers but not receiving the calls.
It's not even that I really wanted a relationship, I just enjoyed the chase. Even so, it would be nice to get some flowers on the one day of the year when a girl should feel a little appreciated, even if she wasn't being pursued.

Naturally, my Daddy picked up on it. I woke up on Valentine's morning 2002 to a single pink rose and love heart candies. I'm pretty sure it was a concerted effort for me not to fall in love with the first spotty teenager that showed me some attention, and it worked. I didn't need roses left on my seat in chemistry, because I had a beautiful one already in a single vase on my nightstand.

Sidenote: (for like the two guys who sometimes read this!) Love your daughters well, even from a young age, make sure you're someone she runs to and not from. If you don't make her feel loved and secure, she'll find it in the first sleazy schoolboy who spins her a line.

Every year since then, my Daddy has given me a single rose on valentine's day. Not because his little girl needs flowers (although obviously, I love getting them!) but because his little girl needs to know she's loved.  This is probably what they mean when they say 'it's the thought that counts', it's not the fact that I get flowers, it's the fact that my Daddy cared enough to do something that would instill the love he has for me, year after year.

(It also means HH gets let off the hook a little easier, should he ever forget the significance of February 14th.)

What I once envied became what other's wished for. Whilst I would spend time wishing for my crush to crush on me back, other girls would tell me they wished their Dad would be there for breakfast before school, let alone buy them flowers, and it became apparent that I was blessed, indeed.

Thoughts on Valentine's.

I guess you could brand me a stereo-typical 'girly' girl. I talk (A LOT), I'm distracted by anything sparkly, I'm addicted to buying shoes, I shop too much, I spend too much and I have my nearest beauty salon on speed-dial. Any guesses on my favourite colour? You'd be forgiven for thinking it's pink, but you'd also be wrong- it's red, for the record.

And girls like me, love day's like this- Valentine's day.

It's the perfect excuse to over-romanticise everything. It's a day that makes Walt Disney seem like he was telling the truth at the end of every fairy-story. It's cliche, it's over-commercialised, it's expensive, but I forgive all those errors for the sake of a whole day committed to celebrating romance and love. (And getting my love tank refilled with words- cards,emails,texts and actual notes all count!)

Not lust. L-O-V-E.

Just this morning, I tweeted a reminder (to myself, more than anyone) that 'Above all else, guard your heart.'  And, I was so stoked that my phone beeped for hours with verse of encouragement and perils of wisdom on how to do so- being careful who and what gets airtime there, not living by feelings but by faith etc. More often that not though, we forget to, especially if you're known for 'wearing your heart on your sleeve' like yours truly. Doesn't sound guarded in the slightest, in fact, it's in full-view of any opportunist or pick-pocket near-by. And yet, at least if it's on your sleeve, it's always to hand.

Jimi Hendrix said - 'When the power of love overtakes the love of power, the world will know true peace.'

What harm could a little more love do?

But, thinking on this theme all day has prompted me to really reflect on why, we as women, especially, love the idea of love. Why do we need the chase? Why do we need the words, the flattery, the courtship? And the only thing I can come up with is that it validates us.

Sometimes, I've had arguments in my head with Tim, because he's not done something I've expected him to do. Sometimes, I voice those things to him, and the poor guy is astounded. You know why? Because, I'd elevated him above where he should be, I wanted him to fill up the spaces in my heart, and he simply could not do it in the way that I needed. There's a reason for this- no matter how much of an awesome husband you have, he makes a rubbish god. He's only human, and so are you! The two of you are broken, imperfect people in on this thing, called life, together.

So, I found a resolve. On the days when I feel a little more fragile than others, I need to spend more time with the one who IS love. If I take all my empty places to Him right away, He is faithful to fill them. Every, single, time. And anything else, I receive on top of that, is just a bonus.

'We love because He first loved us.'
1 John 4:19