Time To Get Serious – Working Mums Live 2012

After starting this blog on a whim one Sunday morning last summer I have seen both my passion for writing and my audience grow into something I could only have dreamed of that lazy weekend last August.  I have now reached a point where I am now getting offers of paid work in relation to my blog and writing and am considering making freelance blogging/writing more than a hobby; it is turning into my ‘job’.  I hadn’t planned to be a work at home mum, I was quite happy being a housewife and mother, but as this is now the way my life is taking me I thought ‘what the hell, I’ll go for it!’

With this in mind I was very excited to be invited along to attend Working Mums Live as one of their gust bloggers.  This free event, held at the Business Design Centre Islington, was aimed at empowering and advising mums on all things work related.  On arrival I was met by the lovely Annika Williams from Working Mums who showed me around the different zones of the venue.  I was  particularly impressed by the Advice and Support area.  It has a CV clinic offering guidance, employment law specialists such as Gelbergs Solicitors offering free advice, education centres like Hillcroft College showcasing their courses and childcare providers advising working mums on how to get the best from their childcare options.  This area offered really practical advice that could make the difference between a mothers return to work being a happy and successful one or not.  I think it was the real gem of the event.

I would highly recommend taking a look at www.workingmums.co.uk there are some great resources for working mums are those thinking of returning to work, plus many job opportunities listed, all from family friendly employers.

My Week In Tweets

Summing up each day last week in 140 characters or less…

Monday – Working in the sunshine #allworknoplay

Tuesday – The children played while the mums planned to take over the world – just our average Tuesday really #productiveday

Wednesday – Dinner with my Dad, have been introduced to the wonder that is an Eton Mess #thisiswhyimnotasize8

Thursday – Was told to expect Gerard to deliver my Waitrose shop today. Turned out it wasn’t Gerard Butler #disappointedtweet

Friday – Impromptu dinner with friends AND had my first ever G&T #growingup

Saturday – Football Day – Shame we lost #uptheo’s

Sunday – Pain of 5am start for bootsale eased by £100 profit and beers and fajitas in the sunshine with friends #mexicanmagic

I will be linking this post up with Slummy Single Mummy and her A Week In Tweets posts as, quite simply, I think it is a fabulous idea!

Working Mums Live 2012 – London, 27th March 2012

Next Tuesday sees the Working Mum’s Live 2012 Event take place at The Business Design Centre in Islington.  It’s a free event to attend, and will be packed full of job opportunities, advice and fantastic speakers – all aimed at us working mums!

I cannot wait to attend and am very excited about the seminars, especially the ones on Social Media (who’d have guessed?) and how to make flexible working work for you and your family.

I think events like this are so important. They help to encourage mums back into the workplace by showing them, family friendly, non threatening job opportunities alongside giving them CV and work related tips in order to help them achieve their goals and get back into work.  Without sites like Working Mums, and events such as Working Mums Live I would never have known where to look to find companies that sign up to the ‘flexible working’ and ‘family friendly’ ethos for working parents.

I hope to meet lots of interesting people at this event, so if you are going then please do let me know so I can say hi. Well….I don’t want to be Billy-no-mates all day now do I?

Working Mums Live 2012 completely free event to attend, all you have to do is fill in the Working Mums Live Registration Form.

I’m Back…..Have You Missed Me?

Well you can call off the search and rescue and stand down MI5…I’M BACK

It’s been a busy week in the Essex house, I can’t believe it’s been 10 days since I last posted on here, time has just flown by. Funny how quickly life takes over from everything and you don’t know where the days go isn’t it? Especially for me who prides herself on being the most organised I possibly can.

I’ve still been busy on the blog behind the scenes, voting for my favourite bloggers for the MAD Blog Awards, helping the wonderful Chez Mummy arrange the Essex Bloggers night out, booking my ticket for Cybher and having lunch with Dear Beautiful Boy and her handsome little man.

I’ve also been decorating our little Essex home.  What started off as a new sofa in the lounge, has now turned into a complete new look for our lounge, kitchen, bedroom and the baby’s room – so that has been keep me busy too.

This is all alongside being a full time mum to a 3 year old and a baby…

Anyway, I’m back now and can’t wait to tell you all about Scarlett’s 3^rd birthday, my up and coming work and blogging plans and my excitement over the summer being on its way and festival season soon being upon us!

Hope you haven’t missed me too much……I promise not to leave you so long again

Alice

Top 5 Cookbooks

Hello, Its me….talking about food AGAIN!  Here are, what I consider to be, the Top 5 cookbooks owned by yours truly.

Levi Roots  - Caribbean Food Made Easy

Since  discovering Levi Roots’ cookbooks, dinner times in the Essex house have never been the same.  I’ve experimented with so many new flavors and ingredients thanks to him and it has influenced so many of my new dinner ideas.  It also introduced ‘Gingered-Up Chicken Pasta‘ into my life for which I will be eternally grateful.

Jamie Oliver – Jamie’s Italy

I love all of My Oliver’s books, in fact I just love Mr Oliver in general, but this book is by far his best yet.  The Fennel Risotto is AMAZING.

Rachel Allen – Bake

Rachel Allen has a knack of creating great ‘go to’ cookbooks. This book, along with the other two I own of hers, offer me mid-week dinner inspiration time after time.

Nigella Lawson – Nigella’s Christmas

Other than my Christmas pudding which is, and always will be, a Delia inspired one, Nigella Lawson has Christmas solved with this beautiful book. The Christmas cake is better than any you will ever find in a shop and the Mac and Cheese and Tiramisu recipes are so good I use them all year round.  Remember, a cookbook is for life not just for Christmas.

Joanna Weinberg  - How to feed your friends with relish

This was a Christmas present from the Essex Husband and it showed me just how well he knows me.  The book is amazing, its not just recipes, its a guide to being the perfect hostess.  Tips to make your weekend guests feels as at home as possible, ideas on how to throw the perfect dinner party, there is even a whole section of flowers.  Its quickly become my household bible.

I just couldn’t resist joining in with this weeks Listography over at Kate Takes 5 - I do love my food porn after all. Pop and take a look to see what other cookbooks are being talked about, there are some really good ones out there!

Image Credits – Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

Homemade Baked Beans Recipe

These add a real zing to a cooked breakfast to dinner time classics such as sassuage and mash.

Warning: Once you try these your family will never let you go back to shop bought baked beans again!

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of a meal or 2 for beans on toast)

400g tin of Haricot Beans

1 Garlic clove roughtly chopped

3 tbsp Tomato Puree

2 Tbsp Maple Syryp

1 Tbsp Soft Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp Cider Vinger

2 Tbsp Water

2 Large pinches of salt

1 Large pinches of ground all spice

3 Bay leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 200

Drain and rinse haricot beans and place them in an oven proof dish with a lid

Add in all other ingredients, stir to mix thoroughly and cover with lid

Bake in the oven for 30 mins – stir every 10 mins to prevent sticking

Remove bay leaves and garlic before serving

Hope you like these as much as we do – Enjoy!