LivingwithKids

When No 1 Son first started primary school I can remember dreading the school gate. I worked full-time so I really didn’t have time to stay and chat to the other mums, and it seemed to me that they all knew each other really well and it was quite hard to infiltrate their inner circle. They would stand chatting in a huddle, while I would be on my own waiting for the bell to ring.

Gradually, by getting involved in the PTA, I started to get to know the other mums and made some quite good friends. But there were still times when I was aware that because I was a working mum I was very much an outsider. While I walked to the station, they would be walking back home together, and of course I was rarely there for hometime.

To me it felt as though the non-working mums were in a sort of clique and I was something of an oddity to them, and that no matter how hard I tried to fit in on the rare occasions I had time to talk to them, I was always going to be an outsider. But I was also aware that if my child was to form friendships with theirs, I needed to be as friendly as possible at every opportunity.

Thankfully we’re past this stage now, but I’d love to know what you think. Do you dread the schoolgate, do you find it cliquey, or do you feel that you’re making good friends?

So the idea of this week's Gallery was to take a picture on Sunday August 29 because that was the day that three mum bloggers - Eva, Sian and Josie - flew to Bangladesh with Save the Children.

What they're doing is just awesome, and to mark the occasion I wanted to take a picture of something simple and beautiful but astonishing as well. So, it took me AGES to get this shot of a bee on some of our lavender - I hope you can see its wings clearly.

And meanwhile, here's to the mummy bloggers currently in Bangladesh. Ladies, you're amazing.

I was delighted to hear that Boots have just re-launched their parenting club with 10 points per £1 on most baby products (including big brand names), plus access 24/7 to online info and a chance to receive fabulous free gifts. You can get more info here.

Anyway, while I was looking at their website, I came across the object on the right. Can you tell what it is yet?

Alright, I’ll tell you. It’s a Smooth Skin Intense Pulsed Light hair reduction system – basically it removes unwanted hair permanently. At £324.99 it’s not cheap, but if you consider the amount you could spend in a lifetime on waxing and hair removal cream it starts to become very attractive (and KidStart members save £50 on Boots Smoothskin before 22 September by entering the discount code BSMS55 at the checkout*. You can also earn KidStart savings whenever you shop online at Boots). Not that I’m particularly hairy *cough* but hmmm... how long  ’til Christmas?

*Only one promotional code can be used per transaction and may only be used once per member. The offer cannot be used in conjunction with certain other Boots.com offers. 

School starts for us on Thursday, and already I'm starting to quietly panic. It's probably because I'm a Cotton Wool Mum but I hate the thought of my offspring being out of my sight for over six hours a day again. I've loved every minute of the summer holidays because I haven't had that anxiety I feel whenever I think about what could happen on the way to/from school, or even during break time. I know it's irrational and there's no basis for it, that I'll be at work anyway and it will be nice to have time to myself, etc, but I just can't help it.

Am I the only one who feels like this - or do you suffer from back to school separation anxiety too, and if so, what do you think the best way is to deal with it?

One of my friends is a bit annoyed with me at the moment. I might take this a bit more seriously if the reason wasn’t so silly: she’s annoyed because when I was ill with gastroenteritis for four days the week before last, I didn’t respond to her texts or emails.

The fact that I was barely able to hold any food down, or leave the sanctuary of the bathroom, or eat, or that I went to bed at 8.45pm last Saturday (unheard of) seems to have totally escaped her. So I’m going to wait that one out until she comes to her senses.

But it has got me thinking about how personally I take other people’s behaviour sometimes – particularly online, which is even more silly if you think about it - and made me resolve not to be quite so sensitive, because you never know what other people have got going on in their lives.

Recently there has been a lot of conversation in the parent blogosphere about people feeling ignored, or that there’s a ‘them’ and ‘us’.  Sometimes you might read a post and think ‘she’s talking about ME’ – I know I’ve done that myself – but the chances are they’re probably not. (Or maybe they are, but hey, who cares? At least you’re being talked about.)

I've also been sent messages by people who are upset because I'm not following them on twitter (purely due to oversight in most cases) and facebook requests I haven't had the chance to respond to because I don't recognise the name.

So... maybe it's time to lighten up. I think that what we all have to remember is that everyone has busy lives with our families and work, and that social networking, although incredibly important to many of us (myself included), isn’t the be all and end all. Real life is much more important. And if my friend is reading this - I love you, I couldn't help being sick, stop being so blimmin' silly.

*What do you think? I'd love to hear your views

In our house, even though I do most of the cooking, and even though I taught him how to cook, Man of the House believes he is the only one who can make mash potato properly, and No 1 Son backs him up. (Admittedly he is much stronger than me, hence his skill with a masher). Every time I’ve ever tried to make mash they’ve both complained that it is too lumpy, or that it’s too runny, or I haven’t put enough milk in, or enough butter, or enough seasoning, yada yada. Forget cheating, too – No 1 Son will happily eat M&S's finest but Man of the House can taste non-homemade mash a mile off and refuses to eat it.

Anyway, last week I was sent an OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer to try out (£22, available from Heal's). It’s the kind of implement you see the chefs on the telly use – you simply put the potato in the top, press down the lid and out comes perfectly smooth mash, which you can then fork up until it’s cloud-like light and fluffy. You can also use it to make sauces and baby food. Basically anything that needs to have a smoother consistency.

So last night I decided to serve mash potato, steak and green beans. ‘Try it and see what you think,’ I said to my family after they’d finished inspecting it for lumps.

They ate every last bit. In your face lumpy mash. *cough*

*Who does the best mash in your house? I’d love to know.

I’ve been a fan of Disney movies since my parents took me to see Snow White at the age of three. It’s something that runs in our family – my grandfather used to draw pictures of Mickey Mouse and friends to entertain my dad and his siblings during the war (sadly these were lost years ago), and No 1 Son and his cousins love the films too. I remember that when I took an animation class years ago the teacher told us that what makes Disney films so unique is that the characters move like they would if they were real, and she was absolutely right.

Anyway, so as the weather outside for the past fortnight has been less than delightful, we’ve been snuggling up on the sofa catching up with some of our favourite movies on Disney Blu-ray. One of the best things about Blu-ray is it turns your TV into a cinema – you can see the clarity and colours of the animation in stunning detail, it’s just awesome, and I can just imagine how amazed my dad and grandad would have been if they'd been around to see it. I’m totally addicted.

Here, in no particular order, are our current top five Disney Blu-ray movies – just click on the film’s title to see the full review:

Alice in Wonderland ....

The Princess and the Frog ...

Of course we’ve also been watching Toy Story 1 and 2, because they were excellent preparation for  Toy Story 3, and then when we’d seen that, because we just wanted to watch the whole trilogy all over again. We'll probably keep going with these movies forever!

And if you're in need of an uplifting movie, and your kids are old enough to cope with slightly more mature themes, then I'd definitely recommend Up.

What are your favourite Disney movies? I'd love to know. 

I took this photograph of trees in the National Mall in Washington, DC, when we were there celebrating my 40th birthday. (The National Mall isn't a big shopping centre, it's an enormous park with lots of important monuments and war memorials.) Everyone always raves about the Fall in the US, and I've seen it a few times now. Yes last year's autumn in the UK was beautiful, but in the US, the trees are so much bigger that it's just breathtaking. I particularly love the ruby and ochre leaf shades. Perhaps I'll become a leaf-peeper when I retire (that really is a thing, I'm not kidding).

I know this probably isn't the most technically brilliant photo, but I was so pleased with the way the colours came out I decided to have it blown up on canvas and it's on the wall close to my desk. Hope you like it.

I don't *usually* stamp my feet but I'd LOVE a pair of these Dr. Seuss Converse trainers.

Sadly, they’re just for kids. They're priced from £25.99, come in sizes Kids 2 to Youth 5 and are available from Office.

*sigh*

Shopping for school uniform in August has never been a popular family outing in our house - I think because it's a reminder that the holidays are nearly over and then it will be back to timetables and homework. In fact I think I've seen more enthusiasm over a trip to the dentist's.

The solution, I think, is definitely to shop online if you can. So here's my pick of the online retailers back to school clothes - they're all KidStart retailers, which means you can earn money back as you shop, too. 

Debenhams range includes girls' cardigans (from £5) and skirts (from £6), and this very smart blazer (from £17).

At Littlewoods they have trousers or skirts from £4 and jumpers from £3, with polo shirts from £1.50.

And for shoes, Clarks offer a service where you can get your child's feet measured, go home, order online and then return to pick up the shoes (so the experts can check they fit properly). Much more hassle-free, believe me.