Mas#tags

I honestly think that these could have tasted awful and everyone would have still loved them because Mas#tags - the social media inspired potato shapes from Birds Eye - is such a genius idea. The truth is that they tasted great too.

My family is already a big fan of Birds Eye Potato Waffles so there was little doubt that they would be enjoyed. However, the enjoyment was taken to a new level simply by the fact that the fun shapes included the iconic hashtag, @symbol, star and emoticons. Everyone had their own favourite. During a "trying to be serious moment" of our Mas#tag dinner, one guest described the taste experience as  exactly the right ratio of tasty outside bit to fluffy inside bit. High praise indeed!

I was impressed that the shapes were all very easily recognisable and out of the four packets I purchased (using vouchers sent to me for the purpose of this review) I only found one broken one. The broken one was half a hashtag that, to my little boy's delight, looked like an aeroplane!

Our Mas#tag dinner was actually a Mother's Day treat for me. One of my daughters offered to cook and to keep it simple, (she was cooking for rather a lot of us) I suggested that she make use of the convenience of the potato shapes. She served veggie sausages (only slightly cold in the middle), fried fresh eggs from our own chickens (a touch sloshy), baked beans (almost warm) and Mas#tags (cooked to perfection).

Despite some culinary fails (which she more than made up for with her home made treacle tart), it was a wonderful meal with lots of fun and laughter to which the Mas#tags were definitely a contributory factor.

My D*ckhead Husband

It may be first thing on a Sunday morning, it may be snowing, but that doesn't stop my Darling Intrepid Cycling Keen Husband, Eager And Determined (or DICKHEAD for short) from setting off with the local Cycling Club on the second of his Reliability Races in as many weeks.

The racers met at the car park at the back of my house but to avoid the struggle to get the little ones properly dressed and ready on what was supposed to be my relaxing Mothers Day morning, I waited outside my house (camera at the ready) for him to speed past in the opening moments of the endeavour instead of seeing him off at the start. Minimum disruption to my pampering at the hands of my children.

Contrary to what my husband had informed me was the route, the pack of pedallers did not pass by my house. I just happened to turn around from my viewing spot to see the flashes of high vis lycra whizzing past the T-junction at the end of my road. Photo opportunity missed - snow settling in my hair - Oh well! - GO HUBBY, GO!!!

I do tease him for how he looks in his lycra and how geeky he can get about equipment or training or technique but I am very proud of him for pursuing his passion and for being in the best shape since I've known him.

Mothers Day

My first husband did not have a lot of time for Mothers Day. In fact he didn't have a lot of time for anything that wasn't his work.

It is so lovely to be with a man now who does appreciate the importance of the little things.

I had a wonderfully messy start to the day with seven of us in my bed enjoying breakfast brought up by my older girls who then surprised me with a thoughtful gift and serenaded me. Just thinking about how grown up and wonderful they all are had me in floods of tears.

My little Addy presented me with home made cards and notes in abundance and Dylan joined in by giving me cuddle after cuddle and slightly snotty kisses.

My eldest daughter came to see me later, just in time for a lunch of chips from the chip shop. I always love the rare moments when all six of my children are together.

Ivy volunteered to cook our evening meal, making it a very lazy day for me.

I asked the girls to give a repeat performance of their Mothers Day song to me so I could video it. Here they are singing an adapted version of a song from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb.