The Snow has Gone

The snow has gone... and in spectacular fashion. Wind and rain battered at my window and the brightest flash of lightning I'd ever seen lit the entire room momentarily through a gap in the curtains. Not surprisingly, there was flooding.

It was Monday morning, I was already running late and then I found out that the road to my daughter's school was closed. It is often a journey interrupted by big puddles but on this occasion, it was impassable. I took the alternative route and arrived at school after the bell had gone. Leaving 2 year old Dylan in the car to save time, I took Addy into her classroom then ran back so as not to leave the little fella alone longer than necessary. Bad mistake. As I ran out of the school gates, my foot landed on black ice and I was lying on the hard ground before I'd even had time to register what had happened. I banged my knee on the way down but my upper arm and shoulder took the full force of the fall.

It was a vain hope that my spectacular mishap had gone unobserved. As I struggled to get back on to my feet and assess any damage, concerned mums came to see if I was OK. I was OK. Nothing broken. BUT IT HURT!!!

Dylan was completely content, playing with his toys in his car seat.

I was supposed to be going for a run that evening, now that the pavements were clear of snow and no longer a slipping hazard (!!) but I just didn't feel up for it. It made me very miserable.

Thankfully, my arm is feeling a lot better today - just some lingering stiffness - so I see no reason not to put my running shoes on tonight. I am hoping that the bang to the knee won't hinder my progress.

I have seen and heard of so many people falling on the snow and ice - some resulting in broken bones. I am grateful that for me, it was my dignity that suffered the most damage.

The snow has gone... and I am not sad to see the back of it.

Wrigley's 5 Chewing Gum FLOOD - Review

I have to confess, I am not a big fan of chewing gum. Never have been. But my kids do not share my dislike. They were very willing to try out a brand new flavour of Wrigley's 5 chewing gum that I was sent to review.

Wrigley's 5 is a sugar free gum that promises to 'Stimulate Your Senses'. The new flavour which bears the dramatic name Flood is described as a mouthwatering berry.

Chewing gum does seem to have come a long way from the mint flavoured sticks I remember from my youth. These were very elegantly packaged in a resealable black and shocking pink cardboard pack featuring textured ribbing, ripple designs and the distinctive '5' logo. It did make me think of condoms more than chewing gum but there is no doubting that it was sophisticated.

The stick format of the 12 pieces of gum was familiar territory for me with the shocking pink theme carried through to the wrappers. The gum itself was pale pink and did smell pleasantly fruity.

So far, I would have to agree that senses were being stimulated! I wouldn't feel right about reviewing the gum if I didn't try it myself so putting prejudices aside I popped a stick into my mouth.

The initial burst of flavour was intense and fruity although it wasn't easy to identify a specific 'berry'. There were hints of cherry and blackcurrant that after a while settled down into a subtle forest fruit sort of flavour that did last a long time. I really liked the texture of the gum - very smooth and a bit squeaky against your teeth.

If I were to chew gum regularly, I think I would favour a mouth tingling minty flavour rather than a fruity one but if fruit is more your thing, I don't think these would disappoint. Incidentally, the kids thoroughly enjoyed them.