It's been one of those days, a challenging day from beginning to end. 

I have two boys with an aversion to sleep past 5am, a husband with a need for sleep but who can't, and then there is me the one who wants to sleep, can sleep but isn't allowed to sleep. Saying that, today's challenges were not all down to the lack sleepy dust at BeeBee Towers. Alas, they were down to one itty bitty almost 6-year- old boy known to you as Thing 1. 

A couple of things of note about Thing 1:

1. He has a short fuse - like his mamma

2. He is incredibly quick - like his mamma

3. He gets very narky when he is overtired - like his mamma

4. He likes to get his own way - like his mamma

5. He gets bored very easily - like his mamma

5. He thinks sleep is boring - like an alien from the planet Nosleepicus

Today we took a trip to the Hospital in our nearest city. So far so good. The Husband, Thing 1, Thing 2 a myself all arrived at our destination on time through rush hour traffic, got parked (a feat in itself) and arrived at the Eye Clinic's reception area. Thing 1 at this point is mellow. 

Eye drops time. I take Thing 1 for the 'evil' eye drops (he swears to me they smell of honey - I take his word for this under no circumstances do I want to be seen sniffing anybodies eyes). Of course they sting like a paper cut and lemon juice. We've been through this procedure before. This is the 8th eye test he has been to in the last year. We still don't know if he needs glasses or not as up to today hasn't actually completed an eye test... due to boredom. Reading is boring. 

Hearing this is like fingernails down a blackboard to me. So we've changed tack with the eye test. Today The Husband took Thing 1 into the room. Today, with a new ophthalmologist, Thing 1 has completed his first eye test! This is vaguely good news... But, we now have to come back in another month. An astigmatism has now been found in one of his eyes as well as being slightly long sighted. His eyes work perfectly, 3D vision is already at that of an adult. 

We leave the hospital at 11am, then all merry hell broke loose thanks to the wonder boy that is Thing 1. He was hungry, he wanted to eat, he wanted this, he wanted that. He needed sleep. So get him and today's ever suffering Thing 2 a sandwich, drink and crisp (not healthy but back seat of car friendly). We get home and the next moan begins, we didn't see the tardis/dalek/cyberman at the petrol station on the way home. I don't have any toys to play with and no where to sit. 

Then 2 hours of peace erupted. Thanks to the Chuckle Brothers. I never thought I'd be so grateful to them as I am today. As giggles of silliness broke I got chance to peruse my Healthy Extras in my Food Optimising Bible and discovered today's food find of the day... Stewed dried apricots (with a dash of almond and vanilla extract plus a dredging of sweetener) topped with Total 0% Greek Yogurt. Divine way to spend an Healthy Extra. 

Now I've whiled away the evening in work. The Things 1 and 2 should be asleep, The Husband should also be drowsing. I may even get to read my book. 

At this time of night, and the house is quiet all is good with the world. 

One more week and the school summer holidays are over, well at least for one child! As Thing 1 will reside full time in his classroom next Tuesday, Thing 2 will still be stuck by my side until Thursday, then he will go, but only afternoons until Monday 19th. It feels like forever when all he wants to do is go to school now. Thing 2 is so excited.

Today in the world of SW has not been a great one. I've had a massive gain off the back on my 2 bad nights, So it is time to buckle down again. So with my head screwed firmly in place I have a big bubbling pot of Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup on the go, and I have a week full of meals planned.

Tuesday is also the day I get my Graze box. I love this product so much. I get one box a week and there are four tubs of snacks in there. Each week they are slightly different. If you want to try a free box click the link and enter the code MJPMP5D3 you can also follow them here on Twitter.

So with my organization head on I have arrange myself a list of days to tick off as I do them. I now have 112 days of 100% days ahead of me until the last weigh in for Christmas. Speaking of which, hands up who has bought their first present yet?

And just because... as I usually do I've been meandering through my favourite blogs and I am now daydreaming about this dessert/treat from Lindsay at Gingerbread Bagels.

Happy August Bank Holiday.

Hope that this long weekend has treated you all kindly.

I've had a dodgy snack weekend, although I am back on track now. So many things seem to simmer unsaid, and I don't know how to say them, so I seek solice. For me solice is found in the kitchen in baked goods. I made two curries, a channa masala and a creamy chicken curry.

It was also Doctor Who night too! I miss the good Doctor when he's not on. The joy that was the Liverpool match drove me to a late tea, and unsatisfied cravings. Which lead to copious amounts of apples, pink grapefruit, biscuits, muller yogurts and mugs of tea. Not the best additions to what had previously been a really good day.

So in my premise that Food is Fun - I bring coffee in to this equations. My favourite go to item. If I'm shopping I have the skinny Caramel Macchiato using a Sugar Free Vaniila Syrup as it's flavour base and Skimmed Milk a tall one is just 6 syns for the full thing. If you go for the grande (and used your healthy extra of milk) the Caramel drizzle on top is only 3 syns.

Today I am having a chilli filled day in advance of tomorrow's date with the scales. Breakfast has been  huevos rancheros, lunch will be noodles with chilli and some veggies and tea is chicken cacciatore out of the free recipe book with the new issue of Slimming World Magazine.

So it's been a long day in the office and tonight I get to spent some time with MM, pizza (yummy yummy bad for you stuff) and my men on the telly, Christian Kane and Eddie McClintock.

Tonight's visual delights have been Leverage (Season 3) and later will be Warehouse 13... I so can't wait.

Today's website of choice has been Chocolate Covered Katie  totally engrossed by her oatmeal (that's porridge to us) recipes.

AMAZING! I foresee a reawakening of an old addiction! The 1st one I'm going to do is the Snickerdoodle bowl.  Her breakfast ideas are just amazing.

So my nice quiet day, started with a surprise - a nice glass of  Jack Rabbit White Zinfandel courtesy of the new Landlord and Landlady of The Bay Horse, so not what I was expecting around midnight at all.

Things 1 & 2 spent the morning at Fun Kids and I made my last batch of cupcakes for the local play cafe. End of an era, I have to admit to myself that I can't do everything,

Today is normally a planning day at casa BeeBee, however today hasn't been a normal day. Starting with wine before bed, continuing with the end of a cupcake era and an afternoon of cuddling a 4 week old.

Although a whole new realm of PMM occurred when Thing 2 was sick in the sink, and not his bed! It's the little things.

Taking a tip from Monty Python's Life of Brian and looking on the brightside, I'm looking forward to making creative cupcakes again rather than the same two flavours week in week out.

It's been a good SW day, my ongoing love affair with coleslaw continues, today a variation of the Fruity Chinese 5-Spice Coleslaw from the Extra Easy Summer Days recipe book. Today's offering is minus the peach, but has the addition of pink grapefruit and orange segments and a little bit of ham.

I am now chilling with my Twitter account and The Great British Bake Off.

It's been a strange old day, a mix of the usual parenting joys as Thing 1 is learning to ride his bike and Thing 2 has discovered he's now too big for his Toy Story bike.

Paperwork for the Pre-school I volunteer for needs submitting before month's end so I've been running around left, right and centre.

Around this I have also squeezed in a full shift at work and meals for us all, including some yummy tiffin bites and a fabulous Chicken Korma from the pages of Slimming World Magazine amazing, even my two boys in the throws of fussyness right now both ate this for tea with rice and poppadoms. A true Proud Mummy Moment.

Another proud moment came as I stayed within my syn allowance for the day and I got to revel in my current food obsession, orange and pink grapefruit segments. I'd not been allowed to eat grapefruit for the last 10 years, so am going slightly crazy over it's reintroduction into my life.

I have also squeezed a couple of albums in, slightly behind the times with Jessie J, not bad I can see why she is so popular. My favourite night time album though is the solo offering from Slash. Tonight the pairings with Myles Kennedy and Kid Rock have sent me all unnecessary, totally immense and atmospheric.Slash and Kid Rock: I Hold On also Slash and Myles Kennedy: Back from Cali

Tomorrow should be a nice quiet day, but I'm not counting my chickens quite yet, I am however looking forward to reading a good chunk of Kathy Reich's book Flash and Bones for my next review.

A little about my Slimming World journey.

I started at Slimming World on September 21st 2010, and to date I have lost 4st 2lbs.

I weigh in on a Tuesday morning. The summer holidays have been a struggle as I am a person who needs structure in my day. You just don't get that during the holidays.

I have an online recipe book too BeeBee's Recipes where I record my favourite recipes. All have been tested there are a mix of healthier foods and full fat cakes. There is room for everything in my kitchen and stomach.

I also don't like to make lots of complicated meals, you will find a common thread in most things that I cook they are either ready beginning to end in 30mins or take very little preparation and cook for a long time (like in a slow cooker one of my most favourite kitchen gadgets).

Hello, Hello, Anyone Out There Testing 1, 2, 3

In the words of the Rolling Stones: Please allow me to introduce myself...

Hi there I'm Rachel, I often use my alter ego BeeBee.

I'm a full time kiddie wrangler and part-time sub-editor, production journalist, reader and writer.

I have a great many interests, which I follow frequently but only for short periods of time. At some point I will discuss many of them here, I love talking to new people, reading other healthy living and cake/recipe blogs.

I follow Food Optimising, I love cake, sweets and chocolate. I dream in cocoa powder (but have an aversion to icing sugar).

So pop by, leave comments (even if it's only hello) and I can't wait to get to know you all.