Its been a while

One Fine Daily should just be re-named one fine. If i could work out blogger I would change it actually.
In the meantime, ive just come across the sweetest shmandry new baby gift at my beloved Hema. Look at this for £5
Cuteness

Hema is the best site ever - like Tiger but bit nicer and less random. Not that I haven't always wanted the flamingo shaped desk fan I saw in there last week.

Parklife

We went to the amazing Trent Park last weekend with the kids. I can't recommend it highly enough- honestly it was brill. There's a great cafe, adventure playground, cycle paths, duck pond, Go Ape (my dream activity) and best of all a wonderful Animal Rescue Centre which is just £3 to get in (I know!! You can't leave the house for £3 normally). There are so many animals and lots of interesting info everywhere about them. Not boring stuff like what their latin name is, but actually cool info. We saw all sorts, and a lot of the animals (actually maybe all of them) have been rescued or are convalescing before being returned to the wild. My little girl, the anti-Mowgli, was captivated, although as usual quite terrified- I caught her crouching down next to a miniature hedgehog, begging through the fence "please don't eat me, please don't eat me".

Anyway, at the end of the animal trail there is a fantastic playground with heaps of fun climbing frames that you don't really see normally- a big wooden bus, a medieval tower, a tractor. we could have stayed there for hours. However a tantrum over a Tunnocks Teacake arrived and the visit was cut short. We will definitely be going back.

I know you'd like to think your s**t don't stink but lean a little bit closer

See that roses really smell like poo-poo-oo

I'm guessing you are all singing along nicely now. What, you don't know the song? Are you kidding? Come over to my house one morning; I will take you into the toilet after my husband has finally vacated it, and let's see if a little sniff of his roses jogs your memory. Although, once my new product arrives, the days of fumigation will be over...

Today's recommendation is a bit wierd but I'm hoping its going to change ALL of our lives for the better. To make my worst household task- sorting, folding and putting away the laundry- less arghhhh why meeeeee'y, I often watch my favourite vloggers on Youtube whilst i'm doing it. When I'm not learning how Contour, I am a big fan of Lily Pebbles. The other day I was watching one of her "haul" videos (HIDEOUS word used by all vloggers) and she recommended these Post Poo Drops . They are £20 pounds which is a ridiculous amount of money but still, want want want need need need and it is my birthday coming up. I've never had anything from Aesop before and I didn't really envisage walking up to the desk in their fancy store and saying please can you help me find those drops that make one's s**t not stink, but then life often deals us unexpected cards doesn't it? You are all welcome to come over my house, "use" my toilet, and test it out for yourselves before splashing out on your own little pipette. Together we will be re-writing that song - roses really smell like poo poo oo   poo poo really smells of roses-ses- es.

The Weekend Edition

As promised, I offered last week's winner the chance to join my family as our holiday au pair for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, she couldn't make it, so I offered her an alternative prize which she unsurprisingly snatched my hand off for. She is now taking both of my kids to Spain with her in August for a week! Well done! You are going to have the best time with them!!!!!! Honestly!!!!!! Hola!!! Gaspacho!! 

More prizes to follow readers. Here is this week's dingbat. You know the rules by now:
Name the famous person 
AND 
The reason why they have been in the news in the past week 

The first one to send me the correct answer receives all of my leftover Pesach food (from 2016 AND 2015). 

カラオケ

According to Google, that's Karaoke in Japanese. It could actually mean chin whisker but unless I have any Japanese-speaking readers, none of us will ever know. I would actually love to learn Japanese one day so I can grill the sushi chef about the urban legend that you can't eat sushi on a Monday OR when pregnant. What do they really think? What do Japanese people do? Shall we have a plum wine together? Konichiwah!
The other week, during my break from Onefinedaily, I helped to organise my best friend's hen. Everything went v well, apart from when I scraped the icing off 5 cupcakes and ate 2 giant gingerbreads, breaking my diet and burning my throat with the sugar shock. It wasn't about me me me though, it was about the bride-to-be and I think she had a great time. For the evening, we booked the smashing Rockaoke whose website is a quite bewildering mess of name-dropping in very very small font. You will be none the wiser from visiting it which is a shame because trust me, they are worth the money. They send a three or four piece band to your event, along with a singer/compere, and two microphones and stands with ipads. Then, it's basically just like normal karaoke. You choose your song from a huge list, tell the compere, who gets the lyrics up on the ipad, and then you just sing to the cheering crowd, with the band behind you. It is a liberating and super fun experience and not just for the exhibitionists. Even the wall flowers dropped their "no, I can't, I really can't"s and were up there doing their best Dolly Parton. If you are organising a party, I can't recommend them highly enough.

A Clean Car is a Happy Car

Is that the right saying? Well whatever, my mum came to visit the other day and offered to go out in the torrential rain and clean my car herself, risking her freshly backcombed Jetson hair- this must have been an emergency. I am not one of those people who prides themselves on a clean and/or tidy car. But I think I had let it go too far this time. One of my nieces recently complained that it smelled disgusting in there. I told her her mummy had just got it, done a big fart, and then hopped out again. Ho ho ho no-one likes to think of their mum doing a trump do they?!? She hasn't said it again since!!! Anyway, I felt like I had disappointed my mum so much that I booked a same day at-home car clean. The guy who came was just amazing - he and his pal arrived within an hour and spent an age cleaning my car  in and out. It looks like new- I don't mean that in any way other than literal. You have never seen such a radical transformation outside Extreme Home Makeover. If you want his number, let me know in the comments section, or if you know me in real life, message me any way you like.

Onefineoccasionally

Sorry for my recent absence readers. I'm sure you've not spent the last couple of weeks refreshing your Safari waiting, hoping, yearning for a blog post but still...
Let's get going again though and pretend the break never happened. First up is a beautiful home website called This Modern Life. I have bought a few things from there in the last couple of years, and all of them have been really good buys. They have some of my favourite kids' makes like  Corby Tindersticks , Goodnight Light and Ferm Living although why anyone would spend 80 quid on a kid's duvet cover is beyond me.

If any of my network asks what I want for my bday this year, I really really really want one of the pineapple night lights. Can you imagine anything funner to wake up to in the morning? Like a Pina Colada right there on your bedside table. Without the calories and furry feeling on your teeth. Perfection.

The Weekend Edition

The Weekend Edition is back with a smashing prize! The winner this week gets to pay for a flight to Israel and carry out the much-coveted role of Fine family au pair for the next 10 days. Lots of free time from 8pm - 7am. Choice of top or bottom bunk in shared dorm. And pocket money made up of chocolate coins left over from Chanukah 2002. Fastest fingers first! You know the rules- first person to name the famous person AND tell me why they were in the news over the past 7 days wins.
Here goes:

Whatsapp Wisdom

I can barely remember the tumbleweed phone days before Whatsapp. Sure, we used to BBM, but it definitely wasn't as good. And now, not a day goes by without being added onto another group. Its like the modern day three-way phone call isn't it? Speaking of which the other day I did one of those with my two best friends and it was AMAZING. I highly recommend it - I know it's basically the same as a work conference call just not on loud speaker and without the free drinks and biscuits, but still, it was so cool.
Anyway, back to Whatsapp. One of my longstanding groups is with my sister and two of her wise and gentle friends. The other day, whilst lamenting my husband's need to ask me where every single thing is in my house, without even bother to look for it himself first, one of the girls said her husband could be a useless good for nothing too. She said her problem with him is that he always claims to need the toilet for a wee plus when he is doing a job he doesn't want to do. But she has found a winning way to make sure these toilet trips are curtailed. She always makes him leave his phone behind. She said this drastically reduces the trip. It goes from being film length to presumably just poo length. Who says romance is dead? Not in my household! I'm sorry to start the week with a kind of depressing post. Back to glamour tomorrow I promise.

The Weekend Edition

There was a brand new winner of The Weekend Edition last week. She guessed not only the correct celebrity, but also the news story. She is now enjoying a sunday night supper with her husband, booked by me, paid for by him. The prizes are getting better and better aren't they? Get your thinking cap on, and this sort of prize of a lifetime could be yours.

Here goes....

Mid-year santa

I am in the midst of the misery that is packing for a holiday with very young children. I know I sound spoilt but you KNOW it's true. I get 1/20th of the suitcase to stuff with my 2003 Primark kaftans and gone off suncream. The rest of the space is taken up with everything under the (hopefully) sun for the kids. And when we get there, do they know the holiday lie in rules? They do not. I CAN'T WAIT. 

Anyway, whilst we are away we will be visiting 11 of our 17, soon to be 18, nieces and nephews.  I always try to take shamndry gifts with for them but with that number, it's ummmm expensive/impossible/space-less. So I think that this year what I am going to do is take them a bigger gift for all the family from the amazing site Toyella. 

They have all sorts of cool stuff, and hardly any technicolor plastic which is a nice change. I am thinking of getting this gorgeous sushi set and this set of v fun building block things

And if any of them happen to ask what we would like, please say one of these for the garden.

Forward planning

I start to get a bit anxious when the summer is within striking distance. And it's not just the stark fear of my pale and doughy body having to be exposed, away from the safety of my winter uniform of stripy top and black jeans. It's more like a Black Friday paralysis of not having had fingers on the buttons (is that an expression) and so missing out on all the fun stuff that's on offer. Well, I've made sure that that won't be happening this year- I have signed up to so many newsletters that really, there is no marketing that will pass me by. 

FIrst up is the Udderbelly Festival starting next month on the South Bank. I'm about to book tickets to see Knightmare Live (forward forward forward side side stop back back etc) and this Singing Thing and I really want to take the kids to see the Bubble Man.

It all looks amazing doesn't it? And really good value too. I tried to describe the festival to someone the other day in my school girl Spanish. Live event venue shaped like an upside inflatable cow doesn't translate so easily.

The Weekend Edition

I suppose I have Jesus to thank for it being such a long weekend making me not technically late with this post.

Readers, I understand that there has been some confusion about what makes a winner on the Weekend Edition. I really don't want OneFineDaily to become the blog version of that film with Marisa Tomei about the couple who had to split the lottery winnings with the cafe owner. So, to clarify, to win the Weekend Edition you must name the person from the news AND the reason they were in the news that week. Got it? Okay, here goes....

Home Improvements

It has been over a year since we moved back into our house after re-doing it. That's more than 12 months of going backwards and forwards about perhaps swapping the light shade in one of the bedrooms. Sigh. Things do not get done with any sort of speed in my house if my husband is involved. The other day we went on a trip to look at a new car seat (stop it, I know) and he told me on the way that we would not be buying it that day. We were "just looking". This is my life. Anyway, whilst he dilly dallies around trying to make a decision, I carry on calmly browsing the interiors sites and blogs that I've now been frequenting for 2 years. Today, I am catching up with Mad About the House - it is brilliant and has won loads of blog awards. Since I suspect most of my followers don't spend 5 hours a day on blogs like I do, hopefully it will be new to some of you.

May we all end up with houses that feature on the Househunter feature.

All about stairs

Wow, thanks readers. Ocado have just called to tell me that sales of their frozen veg and herbs have skyrocketed since last week's blog Don't worry, I have many more similar short cuts up my sleeve. I just need to remember them all. Here is one- well it's not so much a short cut, more a good life tip. I read it somewhere, I want to say in the Reader's Digest, but it's more likely to have been in the Hendon and Finchley Times. 

Never go upstairs empty handed. 

I translate this literally. You do NOT have to take a nightly M&S orchid or box of chocolates to the boudoir unless you really want to. Rather it means that there is always something that is downstairs that needs taking upstairs. Laundry, a lost sock, a bin bag for the bathroom bin. I have never regretted following this mantra and it always saves time later on. If you live in a flat, bungalow or penthouse or whatever, just adapt the rule. Customise it! Make it your own! Never go from one side of the abode to the other without taking something with you that needs moving.

Now please don't roll your eyes- I know this seems really boring but trust me it's quite life changing. And if we are being honest with ourselves, life isn't all cupcakes and cashmere is it? Sometimes the grind needs to be acknowledged and improved.

Oh hang on before I go to collect yet more chuchnies from around the house and move them to their rightful homes, here's another stair related life tip. I read somewhere else that you should always go up the stairs two at a time- think of it as a free lunge. If you have seen me from behind you will question whether I practice what I preach with this one. 

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something...

I wanna hold your hand.

We went to Whipsnade Zoo at the weekend, despite the sub zero temperatures that meant that even the arctic sea lions opted out of appearing.  Despite the desertion, I don't really feel it was a wasted trip because it was free! Well kind of. We have an annual Zoo membership so we can visit London Zoo and Whipsnade as often as we like during the year. If you think you will go to more than four times in 12 months the membership is totally worth it. As well as free entry you get 10% off food and drink, which sounds rubbish but when the cafes are the same price as the Harrod's Food Hall, any discount is gratefully received. Oh and it applies to the shop too. If you too find yourself at the till buying a paperweight with a llama inside to avert a tantrum, I guarantee you won't turn your nose up at £2 off.

Join the Zoo

Anyway- as we were going into Whipsnade, woefully under-dressed for the arctic temperatures, I saw a fella and his little boy jointly wearing this half freaky half amazing siamese glove. I want it and I want to burn it in equal measures. It's just so.... I don't know, but I'm totally entranced.

http://www.thegorgeouscompany.com/Hand-Knitted-Hand-in-Hand-Merino-Wool-Gloves?filter_name=gloves

The Weekend Edition

I know you will all have been glued to the broadsheets this week with the budget being released and what not. This week's dingbat comes from slightly lower down, brow wise. The first one to guess the person AND tell me why they've been in the news is the winner. Last week's guesser won a money can't buy experience- sushi takeout, ordered by her, but hosted by me. I know. It's worth racking your brain just a little bit harder isn't it?

Back to

Basics.

As I hope you now know, I  don't intend for this to be a fashion blog. But, following on from the success of the Hush recommendation, I have another one. My super critical sister issued rare praise the other day of a lovely cardigan coat thing I bought in America. It was from a shop called Brandy Melville  http://www.brandymelville.co.uk/ which is not the most pleasant of names. But the shop is really good and they give you loads of free stickers at the till which are useful bribes. It's all the way over on the Kings Road yah, but they have a great website. Lots of lovely basics, and keenly priced too.


If you're heading over that way anyway, I recommend you continue your pilgrimage a little further south to Wandsworth in SW miles away. This next bit is probably like saying to someone from North London, oh I discovered this lovely little park called Hampstead Heath, you must try it, it's just darling. So apologies to my 3 readers south of the river for this. But whatever- Wandsworth Common is AMAZING and has a gorgeous cafe called Skylark.
http://www.skylarkcafe.co.uk/ Go! It's worth the shlep. Varied menu, lots of kids food and colouring things, cute dogs, duck food for sale- it has got the lot. And if you use Waze to get there it takes you on the most wiggly worm route ever and you see things and places you've never seen before. So if you never managed to see the world on that gap year in between uni and real life, now's your chance!

Little House on the

Prairie.

A friend asked me the other day for a recommendation. She wanted to buy some books as a present for a new baby. I remembered that a while back I found these gorgeous BabyLit books in a great kids' book shop in Crouch End http://pickledpepperbooks.co.uk/. 
If you're anything like me, you will buy them because in your mind your kids will enjoy a whimsical childhood- afternoons spent curled up on a window seat under a hand-crocheted blanket, in liberty print outfits, flicking quietly through classical novels with some gentle nursery rhymes tinkling away on the wireless, a family heirloom, in the background . 

The reality of course is that your child will want you to read Peppa Pig's Family Computer over and over again whilst relaxing on their Fisher Price plastic chair but we are all allowed to dream. 

Babylit books at Amazon

Short

Cuts.

I really hate the use of the word "hacks". Life Hacks, i-phone Hacks and the yukkiest of them all, Mom Hacks. Totally foul. And most of the bloody mom hacks are things like ways to get your daily cleaning duties done faster so you have more time to make yourself look beautiful for your husband. Did those poor suffragettes burn their bras for NOTHING? 

As it happens, I don't mind the sentiment of making life easier. I'd much rather call it a short-cut though. Also most of the life (shudder) hacks (vomit) require a hand-made element whereas I prefer to keep my involvement in all household matters to an absolute minimum. 
My favourite shortcut is this: if you aren't lucky enough to have a live-in chef, do not waste your sweet time cutting up vegetables or herbs. Don't even bother keeping them fresh in the fridge. Buy them a) ready chopped and b) frozen or freezable. Do not punish yourself by limiting this practice to the usual peas and sweetcorn. Do it for all non-salad vegetables. This is a sample selection of the huge range I have in my freezer at the moment:

 

 
 


And if you have time to judge me sista, you have time to come over and peel and crush my garlic yourself. The door is always open. 

The Weekend Edition

I'm bringing you the weekend edition a bit later than recent weeks news-seekers, but hopefully this means you've had more of a chance to swot up on stories from the last seven days.

Fastest one to answer in the comments section with the correct famous person and corresponding story wins a huge money can't buy experience. Miss out at your peril.