Clucking good dairy, soya and egg free chocolate Easter treats

I am up bright and early today. Mr Scruff headed out at 4.30am this morning, leaving me to settle the two kids when they both stirred at 5am. I failed and so our day began with the first light.

It has given me time to make Little P's Easter treat. I looked everywhere for dairy and soya free chocolate eggs, but no joy, so I have skipped merrily down memory lane and rustled up some very special nests.

I used...

50g of Pure Sunflower dairy free spread
100g of Waitrose Cooks Ingredients dark chocolate (its the only one I could find that did not contain soya or milk)
4 tablespoons Golden Syrup
A generous hand full of crushed cornflakes

I simply melted the butter, chocolate and syrup in a Pirex bowl over a pan of boiling water. Off the heat, I stirred in the cornflakes and arranged in cupcases, making a nest shape using the back of a teaspoon.

I dropped in each nest a few of Little P's honey corn pop cereal balls and a little chick I picked up in the local pound shop.

I left them in the fridge over night to set and this morning I peeled the nests out of the cupcases and popped in an old shoe box lined with scrunched up greaseproof paper.

We will let Little P discover her little nesting chicks later, and I'll keep my fingers crossed she enjoyes scoffing them all up.

Happy Easter!

Ouch!

SIX.

SIX.

SIX.

The Boy has SIX teeth coming through. His front four along the top and one either side of his bottom front two teeth that arrived a few weeks ago. He is miserable. I am miserable.

Two nights ago I heard him whimpering in his room. When I checked in on him, his face was fire engine red. His temperature through the roof. All night he cried. All night I tried to rock him, cuddle him, cool him down, calm him down. I tried every teething trick in the book. Nothing worked.

Yesturday he slept. Last night he wept.

His little face is swollen, his eyes are droopy, his nose is blocked and he is struggling to feed as he cannot breathe properly. His tummy is upset. His mummy is upset.

I want to take away the pain, but all I can do is hold him, stroke his head, and will those teeth to break through.

Stay safe in the sun

I am very picky when it comes to sponsored posts (in fact I have only done one in my blogging career and that's because it involved free tickets for readers), its not what this blog is about. BUT then Nivea asked if I could write about the risks for kids in the sun as a way of highlighting their new kids sun care range. For me it was a no-brainer. I am a beauty editor by profession. This is what I 'do'. This is what I preach.

My kids are stuck with a mum who, quite frankly, is obsessed when it come to sun exposure. You see through my line of work, I've met the scientists and I've seen the damage. And it ain't pretty.

Their little toes can not step foot outside without me chasing them round the garden with a bottle of sun block. I spend the vast majority of sunny days putting hats back on heads (only for them to be discarded, for me to then pick up and put on again). They look like two ghostly figures as I smear thick layers of sunscreen into their peachy cheeks.

I grew up in the eighties holidaying in the sun. If I got burnt - and I did to the point of blistering - my mum would put me in a white cotton t shirt and send me back out into the blaze. My shoulders are a mass of freckles, and the sun damage is slowly making its way up to my cheeks. But the point is the sun is much stronger now and the risks are higher so its more important than ever to stay protected.

Apply at least 6 teaspoons worth of cream over your childrens body (and indeed yours) at least 20minutes before heading outside. This gives the cream a chance to absorb and take effect. Its easy to get burnt just walking to the park or beach. And reapply every hour, and after every paddle.

The Boy at 8 months will have to stay in the shade as babies under one have such sensitive skin, any exposure to direct sunlight can be damaging.

Both kids have got those hideous and garish all in one UV suits for when we go on holiday. They will stand out a mile but at least they are protected and I can spot Little P a mile off when she decides to dash off. (I got a Hello Kitty one from M&S - its got long arms and legs, which many of them don't) and I bought a baby one from Asda).

Between 11am and 3.30pm none of us are in the sun. It's shade time only as this is when the sun is at its most damaging.

Sun burn makes you miserable. End of.

A bit about Nivea - I love it. I use the range on me and the kids as its well priced and I trust and respect the science. The new Kids Pure and Sensitive Sun Lotion and Spray is an SPF 50 and is water resistant, and costs £16.84. And it will be joining the Scruffs on holiday in May.

The workings of a two year old

Little P: "It's miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine."

me: "What's yours honey?"

Little P: "Don't know, but it's mine."

Fair enough.

Concussion? Pah! No time for such lark.

It's been a funny old week.

It started frantic with four deadlines due in as many days. I became a typing machine, nose buried in the laptop every waking minute (and a few sleepy ones too). I am finding the whole freelance malarky a bit...um...exhausting? There is no stop. If I am not working, I think I should be working, a constant sense of panic rooted in me to get the job done. If I stop to pee I feel guilty.

And then there is the working from home set up. My mum, who is looking after the kids, will get the kids ready to go to the park. But I want to go to the park too. But I can't. But I can. But I can't.

So anyway, bearing in mind this hyper state I am in, on wednesday night, whilst spinning on my heel to grab the ladle to dish up dinner (and spin I did), I thumped the back of my head on the kitchen cupboard.

I remember grabbing my head, pausing for a split second, thinking to myself "You are going down girlfriend". And that was that.

The next thing I know I gasp for air and I am licking the lino floor. And boy does it need a mop. Mr Scruff had very kindly put me in the recovery position and was ready with a glass of water.

I felt like Sylvester the Cat when he's been hit on the head with a frying pan. Boing. Thump. Dribble.

The next day, I carried on as normal, except everything was a little bit blurred. I put it off, but after much nagging from my mother (who kept repeating tragic tales of head injurys), I took myself off to hospital to err on the side of caution. And yes I did take my lap top and carried on working in the waiting room (and might I just add, I got heaps done - nothing makes you retreat into your own world more than an A&E department).

I am fine, just a few braincells down, the work has been handed in, and my kitchen floor has been scrubbed.

Come on next week, lets be having you.....