~*~ GUEST POST - SIMON TODD - Charity Fundraising ~*~

Hello, I'm Simon. Also known as Laura, Jess, Sarah, Becky and Emma. Now you're confused.

This year for charity I'm completely swapping lives with 6 young ladies, living life through their eyes. How? I'll be going the whole hog to look like, dress like and act like them, as they set me a days worth of activities typical of their lives. Singing, shopping, baking... Anything goes.

So why am I taking a week off work to spend it being other people? This year it's for The Children's Trust in Tadworth, a great national charity working with kids across the UK who have multiple disabilities and complex health needs. They also help the family out too, with rehab, therapy, nursing and medical care, should they need it. It's a great cause.

I've set myself a challenge of raising £250 - take a look at http://www.itodd.co.uk/charity for more about the event, or head straight to http://www.justgiving.com/swapsies2012 if you're feeling generous enough to donate!

Thanks in advance - your donations mean a lot!

Simon/Laura/Jess/Sarah A/Sarah T/Becky(Kitt)/Emma

Easter Cupcakes

I've been baking a lot recently (which is probably why my electric whisk has just broken *sob sob*) One of the more recent things I've made are these lemon cupcakes which I took to work. I've never had so many compliments about cakes I've made! They were pretty easy to do too. The little decorations on them are just chocolate that I melted and piped into the shape I wanted. The one thing I will say with this is the chocolate will be hot in the pipping bag so you may want to wear an over glove to hold it. The other thing is that chocolate will not wash off some piping bags (at least I couldn't get it off! Lesson Learned!) so you'd probably be best of with a disposable bag!

New Shoes ~ An*tai*na* Frilled RHS

Today I received a pair of shoes I'd bought on-line! These are An*tai*na* 9238, and I have wanted them for a very, very, very long time! I was lucky enough to find these second hand for £31 including shipping, and I'm very happy with them! The only thing I'm finding with them is they rub a little across the top of my foot. I think it's because they appear to be quite new, or because I'm not used to them. (I'm not sure the previous owner wore them at all, as they don't look worn!)But despite a lot of people asking they are super easy to walk in! They are a little higher than I was expecting but it doesn't make them any more difficult to walk in. So if you are looking for a pair of comfy RHS I would recommend these!

Cherry Blossoms

Just a couple of photos I took of the cherry blossoms next to the lake when it was warm out. Added butterfly bonus in the first picture!

Super Mario World - Because I can!

It doesn't matter how old I get, I STILL love this game! Although Bowser was a lot easier than I remember! (Actually I wonder if that's because I'd been playing Nier which is a lot harder!!)

Swans and soon to be Cygnets!

The swans that live on the lake behind my office have built a huge nest! It looks like there will be cygnets on the lake again this summer - last year they had five or six!

Starbucks will write your name on your coffee!

Starbucks have launched a new (I say new but I'm sure they used to do this a few years back) Where they will write your name on your coffee order! The possibility of funny names on cups is endless - has anyone tried this yet?

New watch strap

Hello lovelies!

Today's post is a customised watch strap!

This watch was given to me by my Fiancé many years ago. I had already had the strap changed once around a year ago as the old one wore out, but the one I had it replaced with was awful, it kept undoing, looked rubbish and was generally annoying. So rather than just throwing it in a drawer and forgetting about it, I decided to have a go at making my own. So you if you want to have a go at making your own too, all you need is some beads, 10 gauge wire or thread, beads, a couple of jump rings and a clasp, take a look at some of the steps below.

New pets!

We've got some new pets! Check out our cute little fish  (three male guppies, five Rasboras and two ghost shrimp)- Though they aren't as easy to photograph as the guinea pigs were.

Adorable cupcake!

How cute is this cupcake? A friends daughter made it and it was absolutely lovely! Thank you! <3

Wheat-free birthday cakes do not work in 3D cake tins

Be warned people - wheat free cakes do not work well in 3D tins! The amount of icing holding this together is insane.

Janurary Sale shopping!

Hello!

So shortly after Christmas I went sale shopping with one of my sisters! (This was after our boxing day extravaganza!

Breakfast and lunch: Salads and mini breads!

Time for another update! This time I have three recipes for you, which are perfect for lunchboxes and home alike.

Fed-up with the same sandwich day in and day out? There's only so much ham and mustard one can eat before they can't stand it any longer. So here's what I came up with for the new year!