The Blog of a Full-Time Working Mum

Our au pair has been with us for just over two months and our life has changed so much. Mostly for the best but I have to admit it is quite challenging to have an extra person living with us. It takes a little bit of getting used to :).   However the positives outweigh the negatives. There are several benefits of having an au-pair: 1- I can spend more quality time with my husband. We can even go out together (and on our own!) and we don't have to worry about the availability and the cost of a babysitter. Having no family nearby, it is not something that we have done often in 6 years. 2- I have more time for myself. I can go to the gym or go for a quick jog. I can also have a lie-in once in a while, meet with my friends (even if hubby is at work). I have also grown a new passion for grocery shopping. Only kidding! However I must say that grocery shopping without the kids is much more enjoyable (no tears and no tantrum). It is just me, my trolley and my shopping list....

I had a conversation with some British friends the other day. They wanted to know why I chose to live in the UK (and not somewhere warmer for example)? I had never given it much thought before to be honest... So here they are, the 20 reasons why I love the UK so much: 1- This is where I met my husband and where my kids were born Definitely the #1 on my list. 2- Cupcake-obsessed nation I know this is not exclusively British but the UK is where I discovered these lovely little treats. I must say I am addicted too. 2- The countryside Particularly Scotland, Ireland, the Lake District and Kent. I know this would not be most people's favourite holiday destinations but they are for me. Best memories ever! Loch Ness and Travel Teddy 3- Victorian/Georgian houses Although cold and damp (I know for having rented a few), these character houses are absolutely gorgeous. 4-  Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate ...

Have you ever heard of Bunny Chow? No? Seriously, you gotta try it at least once!   A Bunny Chow is a South African dish consisting of a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry. It originated in the Durban Indian community (East coast).   It can be made with chicken, lamb or even vegetable curry.   It is the equivalent of our kebab here in the UK. It is what you buy on your way home after a night out clubbing (or so I have been told). I love eating with my hands (I love street food in general). You tear the side of the bread bowl and you use it to sccop out the curry filling (as it was a chapati). Yum! I love the chicken curry version (cooked with chicken drumsticks) in a nice crispy bread.   Finger-lickin' good :).  

We are moving to the countryside in November. Our current house is sold and the new one is being built. The public opening of the development's showhome was last weekend so I went to have a peak on Sunday morning. I met an elderly couple there and we got chatting. They were just having a peak themselves. They live a few roads away and wanted to see what was going on in their village. They have lived there their whole life, have seen the village expand and change in front of their eyes. They explained me where they lived (I knew exactly which house they were talking about. It was the bungalow with the massive "Leave" sign during the EU referendum campaign).  It made me feel so uncomfortable all of a sudden... You see, I am French. I worry about how people feel about having a foreigner as a neighbour. I have never felt this way before, but I do now, since Brexit... They asked me where I was from. I explained them that we only lived a few miles away. This ...