AMY LORIMER

READ…
I’ve been getting back in reading blogs in the evening this week, thanks to my trusty iPad. I’ve particularly enjoyed reading Kerry at Oh So Amelia’s tips on blogging which have given me the motivation & inspiration I need to get back into a blogging routine. I’m not going to pretend I’ll be back into a regular blogging swing just yet but I’m certainly going to improve on the lack of blogging that’s been happening or not lately.

WATCHED…
We’ve not got Netflix at the moment so my Sons Of Anarchy watching has ground to a halt (boohoo!) so instead I’ve turned my attention to Youtube, namely The Michalaks [formerly Hannah Maggs]. Their little weekly vlogs are my favourite thing to watch at the moment and I always look forward to catching up with them each week.

WORE…
As well as trying to get back into a blogging routine, I’ve been trying to get back into a routine of running. I’ve managed to get out a couple of times this week and feel a million times better for it. Plus I found my ART IS THE WEAPON My Chemical Romance t-shirt a couple of weeks back so it’s now my t-shirt of choice for when I running around, looking like my 17 year old emo kid-self.

HEARD…
So to go with my emo-esque appearance, I’ve also been loving some My Chemical Romance as my running soundtrack. I used to be obsessed with them back in High School and was gutted I never got to see them live. But a few years back, just after they announced the release of their Danger Days album, I got to see them live not just once but twice. Plus by then I was a little older and wiser so I think it made the experience all the more enjoyable! Na Na Na is certainly a motivator when it comes to picking up the pace!

MADE…
It’s well & truly strawberry season here in Scotland with all the shops being completely overstocked in Scottish strawberries and as a result there’s loads in the reduced section most evenings. I decided to take advantage of this and buy a few punnets to make some Strawberry Jam! The perfect head start to my usual Home Made Christmas.

AND LASTLY…
These wee boys of mine have been the best of pals this week. Granted they’ll be hugging one moment then hitting each other the next…but for the most part they’ve been getting along really well. It’s so nice to see them finally getting to an age where they can actually communicate with each other & their physical abilities are now pretty similar too. They’re still like chalk & cheese but they certainly compliment each other in various ways.

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READ…
I’ve been getting back into Tumblr this past week. Diddle Diddle Dumpling actually started up on Tumblr away back when and since moving over blogger I kind of lost interest in Tumblr. Recently though I’ve been back on, addicted once more; endlessly scrolling through and loving having another outlet to reblog photos, ramble nonsense & post things that I wouldn’t otherwise share on a parenting blog. My favourite thing about Tumblr though (aside from reading & following all my favourite Tumblr-ers) is the anonymity!

WATCHED…
Sons Of Anarchy! Ive got a bit of an obsession going on. We’re into Season 5 now and I’m going to be devastated when we get to the very end. Plus I’m kind of in love with Ryan Hurst (Opie) and I stupidly read spoilers for this season, so I know I’m in for an emotional time!

Otherwise I’ve been watching a lot of TLC – love me some trash TV, especially Extreme Couponing, Say Yes To The Dress & Breaking Amish.

Oh and John has developed an unhealthy obsession with Topsy & Tim at the moment. From the minute he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed, he’s constantly asking for it to be put on.

WORE…
I’m now working full time again, so I’m basically in a cycle of work clothes, pyjamas, work clothes pyjamas… But I actually bought myself some new pyjamas a few weeks back and these Coca Cola ones were just made for me!

A photo posted by Amy Lorimer (@amylorimer) on May 24, 2015 at 2:43pm PDT

HEARD…
“I got bills, I gotta pay!” This has kind of become my theme tune at work with people commenting that it’s ‘Amy’s song‘ when it comes on the radio. Honestly, I’m not even that fussed for it but whenever it comes on it gets stuck in my head for the rest of the day!

MADE…
I did make some enchiladas at the beginning of the week but otherwise I’ve not made very much. I’m still very much adapting to working full time with two kids (hence the recent radio silence) so I’ve been relying on Iain to make most of our meals. And any other creative plans have been put in the back burner for now.

AND LASTLY…
Thank you hanging about whilst things have been a bit quiet here lately. These past few weeks I’ve been coming home & falling asleep on the couch and spending my days off trying to entertain two ever more demanding toddlers & maintain a house in need of some good TLC. I’m starting to get a bit more of a routine, as well as putting together a blogging schedule, so hopefully things will be back to normal service again soon.

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When John was wee, we ate out a lot. Be it lunches ‘just because’ or coffee shops to pass the time, nearly every other day you’d find us out & about wining & dining. Then David came along. Bless him, it’s not his fault he’ll never truly know the pleasure in abandoning the house work and letting someone else do the dishes (partly because we don’t really eat out any more but mostly because y’know, he’s a baby…) but eating out with two wee ones is a whole different kettle of fish than eating out with just the one.

So when we were asked if we’d like to go along to try out the new Frankie & Bennys at Fort Kinnaird, I was a little apprehensive. Despite it making me all nostalgic of the old Frankie & Bennys that we used to visit at the Fort back when I was a child, I still had flash back of the times I had tried to eat out with two wee ones and those memories are not particularly happy ones that I care to repeat any time soon! That being said, I figured that they’re both a bit bigger now and it might not be as bad as my permanently scarred mind recalls. Plus I’ve been desperate to try out some of the restaurants at the newly updated Fort Kinnaird so this was the perfect excuse!

Upon arriving at Frankie & Benny’s we were met by a lovely guy who sorted us out with a table. We were sat right up the back by the kitchen, which John absolutely loved and it gave us plenty room to keep the buggy out the way. We did have a wobbly table but I think this is a curse of mine as it seems to happen everywhere I go! Our waitress was a lovely young girl who was very attentive throughout our visit, making sure the boys got their activity packs & that we were quickly sorted out with drinks.

The boys obviously chose their meals from the Kids Menu but in the interest of time, I chose from the Pronto Menu. I believe the Pronto Menu is for those in a hurry with the option of having your food & bill all within 40 minutes; perfect for those eating during lunch breaks or trying to make it to the cinema on time. But I liked it because it meant we weren’t sat around waiting for food with two kids becoming increasingly impatient. You also get free refills on drinks, which despite being Diet Pepsi & not Diet Coke (I know, I know… I’m a Diet Coke snob!) is still pretty awesome!

I opted for the Bacon Cheeseburger (£7.95) from the Pronto Menu which comes with a good portion of chips and a delicious pot of tomato-chilli chutney. The burger itself was beautiful; so meaty & so juicy! And the salad inside it was lovely & fresh. The chips were also lovely, crispy and very fresh, which I was quite pleased about as I’m not a fan of soggy chips. My favourite part though was the tomato-chilli chutney! I love making my own chutney but this one is just exceptional – so tasty that I was even tempted to lick the pot clean.

John decided on the Sausages & Mash Potatoes (£4.25) which there was no way on this earth he’d ever have been able to finish. I kid you not, the sausages were the length of his arms; and there was two of them! The sausages themselves were lovely and didn’t taste cheap & nasty which some sausages – especially those aimed at kids – can be. And to my surprised John did manage to eat a whole one, although after that he could only manage a few mouthfuls of mash potatoes, which was also lovely & very creamy, and his vegetables before saying he had a full tummy.

For David I chose the Kids Penne Pasta (£4.25) with a creamy cheese sauce. Again, the portion was massive but to be honest I wasn’t quite as impressed. The sauce itself was quite bland; more of a white sauce with a very, very mild cheese maybe thrown in. Even a sprinkling of cheese on top would have helped perk it up a bit. That being said, David devoured it! In fact, I’m quite sure he would have finished the plate but I had to cut him off after a while as I had visions of him eating himself sick.

Despite feeling stuffed, we decided to go ahead and order dessert too. In the interest of giving a fair review, obviously! Not just because I’m a pie. We started with a brilliant Banana Milk Shake (£3.95) which the 3 of us practically fought over! It was so creamy & lovely – I’d go back to Frankie & Bennys again just to have milkshakes, really.

For myself I opted for the Cinnamon Waffle Crunch (£2.50) from the Pronto Menu. I’m a big fan of waffles & these did not disappoint. The ice cream lovely too, really creamy & beautifully topped with toffee crunch & toffee sauce. Best of all though, was the price!

And for the boys we went for the Ice Cream Candy Shop (additional £1.95), which I’d been eyeing up from the minute we first looked at the menus. It’s two scoops of ice cream, 3 little bottles of sweeties, as well as marshmallows & popping candy, as well as some chocolate sauce for good measure! Basically any sweet-toothed child (or adult for that matter) dream! When the tray of goodies was placed down on our table, suddenly John’s tummy wasn’t full any more and two hands were grabbing at it, making getting a photo near impossible – which did make the staff & other patrons giggle.

Overall we were very impressed with our visit to Frankie & Benny’s at Fort Kinnaird. The staff were lovely & very attentive and the food was fantastic, especially given the price. We will definitely be back again since we’re just down the road from Fort Kinnaird and that it’s the perfect location for a day out shopping or going to the cinema, with a stop at Frankie & Bennys for dinner or tea.

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Another instalment of Vlog Stars! Who’d have thought I’d keep up a linky for more than one round, especially one that involves vlogging? But I had so much fun doing last months Vlog Stars video that I decided to get involved again this month. I never thought I’d enjoy vlogging as much as I am but I’m really pleased with how this one has turned out.

The topic of this months Vlog Stars is A Few of My Favourite Things. The aim is to name three favourite things from 20 topics in under 3 minutes; I have cheated a little though! And if you do like this video then be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel & give the video a thumbs up too. But without further adieu, here is my video for June’s Vlog Stars!

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