A Modern Mother

A Modern Mother makes jam (and by some freak miracle it sets!)

Forget about being a yummy mummy, now it's all about being a jammy mummy. Yes, jam making is now officially cool; even Kate Moss is dipping her fingers into the pot.

I love eating jam, but am not so good at making it; it rarely sets properly and ends up a gooey (but tasty!) mess. The WI and Stoves put on Jam Making Master Class last week in London, in advance of the Real Jam Festival in November. Expert Kath Mepham and her hubby were on hand to help us novices perfect our jam making skills. Kath, who has been making jam for 40 years, was full of inside tips on how to make that award-winning pot. You could see my smile from Hawaii at the end of the session when she said my jam had a good set and real potential. Ace!

The mummy bloggers

 
You MUST go out and get the October issue of SHE magazine. There's a big fat photo of this blog on page 69. Really. I gave them a photo of myself but apparently it was rejected, they thought the blog looked better. The article also listed BMB and CyberMummy partner www.jenography.net as a must read, along with sandycalico.blogspot.com, singleparentdad.blogspot.com, and dooce.com! Go mums! (and Ian). Thanks to Suzanne at Skybluesea for flagging this for me

Who would you cast for The Help?

I was so excited to hear that Kathryn Stockett's The Help is being made into a film, as we speak! Apparently it is the most excitement Mississippi has seen in a long time.

Last Spring I suggested that my book club read The Help, and everyone really liked it. The group is usually split, but the general consensus was that it was a good read and it sparked a whole evening of interesting conversation (sometimes we only spend a half hour on the book and then go on to more meaty subjects such as school gossip).

The Help takes place in Mississippi in the 60's and is about the relationship between women and the almost exclusively black maids that cleaned their homes and helped to raise their children.

And you think YOU have hair problems!

Disney's Tangled, due out January 2011, is a story of adventure, heart, humour and hair—lots and lots of hair. Think Rapunzel. The trailer sure got me giggling. Go on, have a peak...

 

 

 

Jet lag as explained by my six-year-old

Mummy I have a weird feeling, like I'm not used to it here.

What do you mean sweetie, are you really tired?

No, when my head is on the pillow it feels like it wants to get up and walk away.

Photo credit: abnetsel

Grrrrrrr

Dear XX,

You sent me an email today addressed to Suzanne. That is not my name. My name is Susanna. That is why I put it at the bottom of my email (maybe you didn't see it?) It's on my biog too. There is an "a" at the end. No "h". Though if you added an "h" somehow I wouldn't mind as much.

You see Suzanne is French. There is not an ounce of French in me. If you heard me pronounce "monsieur" this would immediately become apparent. Susanna is Italian and Spanish in origin and I have to say I feel pretty comfortable showing off with the occasional "vaminos ala playa" when needed (thanks Dora). 

Got an iPad? Now what?

I bought myself an iPad while I was in California. I justified this small investment by telling Scottish hubby they were 20 percent cheaper in the US. He fell for it.

It's basically a big iPhone -- without the phone bit. I love it. The girls love it. I know it sounds shallow, but size IS everything. Maybe it's my age, but I like it big. You can actually read your email on an iPad, or watch a movie without squinting.

Win a break for two at the UK's first eco-spa

I'm all for big brands getting behind green projects. Procter & Gamble wrote in to tell me about their Future Friendly initiative, an education programme involving P&G brands including Ariel, Lenor, Fairy, Flash, Duracell Rechargeables and Iams. Supported by NGO partners the Energy Saving Trust, Waste Watch and Waterwise, the programme is designed to help and enable us to be more sustainable.

To be part of Future Friendly, P&G brands must have reduced energy, water or packaging use by at least 15 per cent; whether it’s in the way they’re manufactured or used. Meanwhile, they still deliver the performance and results that you’d expect – and some can even reward you by saving you money on your energy bill.