To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day One

Day one of the Body Boosting scheme and I still appear to be alive. I have enjoyed my meals, done my exercise and drank three squillion glasses of water. So top marks to me.

Breakfast: Eggs, tomato, cucumber & olives, Lunch: Mackerel, sugar snap peas, avacado & salad,
Dinner: Quinoa & roasted veg, homemade houmus, salad and boiled egg

But I think, actually, I also deserve a gold star. Or maybe even two. For today has not just been any day. Today has been my Mam's birthday and, being the wonderful daughter that I am, I decided to put on a little tea party for her.

I decided this master plan last week, when I had no idea I would be purging my body of all things naughty. I'd also decided to ask a few of her friends along, as a surprise, as I love an excuse to play the host and throw a buffet together. Little did I know I would be throwing said buffet together chiefly with foods my detox guru, Helen McCrea, would deem as 'toxic'.

So I think you get the picture. I made Thick, creamy coleslaw. Spicy pasta salad. Cucumber yogurt dip. Tuna mayo baps. Bread sticks for heaven's sake! I couldn't take a modest chef's taste of anything, not even a lick of the fingers for fear of sending my body into detox meltdown.

And setting it all out on the table . . . and watching everybody else eat it . . . and helping Little Tot spoon it into his mouth. Torture!

Luckily I'd sneaked in a few goodies I could eat onto the buffet table. Quinoa and roast vegetables. Homemade hummus. Eggs, olives and the like. So that got me through the savoury part of the meal. But how, oh how, would I get through a table laden with sweet birthday goodies? And what about the denouement of the event? The birthday cake?

My Mam's a Dog Show Fanatic, hence the decorations

And it was a beauty. Made by my good friend Claire, who runs a successful business taking various tasks off busy mums so they can get on with other stuff - Magic Mummies. I know her cakes are absolutely delicious and had, upon ordering the cake, been very excited about the prospect of tasting her wares. Sadly it was now not to be. And I made do with a bowl of berries.

Luckily, Big Tot ate enough cake for the two of us and ten minutes later was complaining of tummy ache. So while I did the whole magic kiss thing for him, I couldn't help but feel a little angelic because my own tummy was filled with nothing but purity and light.

Tomorrow I may well sprout wings and perhaps a halo will emerge.

I'll keep you posted.

Go well,

Abi


Find out about my fab happy living products at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Check out what Helen McCrea can do for you at www.femalefitness.co

Discover every mum's best kept secret at www.magicmummies.co.uk

The Cool Rule Song and an Ironing Board

Just now, whilst I was receiving Tweets, drinking coffee, planning dinner and filing some papers, I looked up the word, 'Multitask'. Of course I know what it means.What parent doesn't? But I was curious. Can they possibly define such a term without mentioning the vocation of parenthood?

It appears not. For Oxford Dictionaries Online defines it as follows:

Multitask:  Dealing with more than one task at the same time
Parenting skills such as multitasking and concentrating amid distractions are easily transferable to the workplace

Hands up who's good at multitasking. I bet you're not as good as me. I bet I'm the winner (too much time with Big Tot, sorry). Honestly though, sometimes I find myself doing so many things at once I consider finding the nearest circus so I can borrow a glittery leotard. And maybe a head feather or two. It would certainly give the Tots something to talk / burble about.

I mention this, not because it's a particularly new or interesting thing. Let's face it prehistoric parents probably had a few things to juggle what with the attacking of beasts and picking of berries. It's just that recently, I seem to be taking multitasking to a whole new level.

The other day, after setting up the train tracks for Big Tot and presenting Little Tot with a plethora of soft play options which might distract him from ripping apart said train tracks, I decided the growing mountain of ironing could be ignored no longer. I set up a little workhouse in my tiny, tiny kitchen, firmly locked the safety gate and set to work.

Now I like ironing. There's something about the curling, rising steam; the rocking, rhythmical creak of the board; the soothing flowered scent of just-washed clothes. But lately (I probably mean for the past four years), it has been harder to enjoy such simple pleasures. Because I am constantly interrupted by the alarming cries of a toddler who can't find a toy or a baby who has eaten an entire pot of soil, I see ironing as a task rather than an activity. And by that I mean a task that can nearly always be put off until another day. Well, this was that day.

For some time now I've been trying to think up a Cool Rule song to sing with Tots at local toddler groups as a means of shamelessly plugging The Cool Rule Book to their parents and carers. A girl's got to earn a living. And, as I worked my way through that ironing pile my creativity must have got a boost because after a mere two hours of smoothing the family fabrics, I'd nailed it. The Cool Rule Song was born.

The amazing Cool Rule Book!

Yes the composition process was interrupted by toddler toilet trips and broken train tracks, but, as the dictionary definition outlines, I was able to 'concentrate amid distractions'. Big Tot asked repeatedly, "Why are you singing that song? Why don't you know the words?" and I gently explained that not only was Mummy an "Entrepreneur" (which he can now just about pronounce) but also a "Creative Genius". I could have added "Domestic Goddess", "Super Mum" etc but I didn't want to complicate matters.

So, if you know the tune to "Down in the Jungle" you'll be able to pick The Cool Rule Song up straight away. Oh, and you must adopt the appropriate grin, perform funky dance moves and use props where necessary. Here we go:

CHORUS
I've got a book that I think you should see.
It's got Cool Rules in it and it's special for me.
If I follow the rules, well you wouldn't believe,
How it makes us all feel happy!

VERSE
I can  . . . 
Brush my teeth - Cooool Ruling!
Brush my teeth - Cooool Ruling!
Brush my teeth - Cooool Ruling!
How it makes us all feel happy!

OTHER VERSES YOU CAN USE
I can . . . 
Share my toys
Eat my food
Hug my friends
Sleep all night
Remember I'm loved

So now that you've recovered from the shock of how damn good this song actually is, you can appreciate, I'm sure, what a feat of human endurance it was to compose it whilst performing a domestic duty such as ironing.

Hold off on the Nobel Prize nomination though, because the real test will be during my visits to local toddler groups. As we all know, toddlers know how to give an achingly honest critique. If The Cool Rule Song supported by a variety of soft toy props doesn't cut it, then quite frankly I am back to the drawing (or maybe the ironing) board.

Wish me luck,


Abi

If you want The Cool Rule Company to visit your parent and toddler group, nursery or library, get in touch now to hear how we can offer not only The Cool Rule Song, but also a positive parenting craft activity. info@thecoolrulecompany.co.uk