A Unique Valentine's Day Gift - Engraved Silver Marmite Lid

What do you get for the man who has everything? OK not everything, but if there's something my husband decides he wants, one click of a button and it turns up the next day from Amazon Prime. It takes a lot of thought at birthday and Christmas to come up with something he will like but hasn't already bought himself, and I try hard to find slightly quirky or unusual gifts from independent retailers or online gift companies (one stocking filler I got him this year was a doorstop for his 'man cave' (study) carved with the word 'hodor').

Game of Thrones is all very well but not the most romantic inspiration when it comes to Valentine's day (I don't even watch the show but can tell most relationships on it have met a nasty end). Marmite may also not seem the most romantic of gifts - until you think of the famous advertising strapline: 'Marmite - you either love it or hate it'. Believe it or not, that advert was devised in the mid 90s, and has lasted so long that it's become a metaphor for anything people have strong feelings towards.

People who love Marmite, love Marmite. It is a sign of true love for them to say they love you more than they love Marmite!

So what better way to say I love you this Valentine's day than with a jar of Marmite? Well how about this: a personalised engraved silver Marmite lid that is a beautiful keepsake, and actually fits on top of your jar of Marmite so you can either keep it in the larder or on your bedside table (the engraved lid that is, not the Marmite - unless you really love it).

There are a few different places that sell engraved Marmite lids but this one from The Engravers Guild has a beautiful design of a cupid and hearts and the words 'I love you even more than Marmite' along with the recipient's name. You could even get your own name as a keepsake for yourself!

Made of solid 925 sterling sliver in a UK silversmiths, the lid fits a standard 250g jar of Marmite. The engraving is done with a diamond-tipped machine cutter so it will last a lifetime making this a really lovely keepsake for your valentine. This one, the sterling 925 silver, retails at £79 including the cost of the engraving and a gift box.

The Engravers Guild has some other options as well including a Brexit/Remainer version, a plain silver lid (£59.95) which you could have engraved with a message for a birthday or Christening or anything else, or one finished with 9 carat gold for £140 if you want to treat your love to something even more lavish.

I love the way it has turned out - you can see more of the details on the lid in this close up photo above.
Standard delivery is 3-5 working days but they also offer a next day service if you've left it a bit late - and the lid is of course delivered with a jar of Marmite!

Thanks to The Engravers Guild of London which offers a range of personalised gifts for the complimentary engraved Marmite lid. All opinions are my own and this is not a paid-for post though I was sent an engraved lid free of charge.

 

Baby Hand Print Get Well Card - A little bird told me you're not feeling so chirpy

My mum has been in hospital for nearly four weeks after being suddenly struck by a serious illness but she is recovering really well and will hopefully be back home soon - a huge relief for all of us.

 

I live a couple of hours away so in between visits I’ve sent her a few things in the post, including a get well card that I made in haste and forgot to take a photo of.

 

This is the second get well card I made, or rather that my ten month old daughter made. We go to a class occasionally called ‘Baby Picasso’ that is basically hand and foot painting with some messy play as well. There is a theme each week and we have the opportunity to make one picture or card or other item (before Christmas for instance we did tree decorations) using hand prints and one using foot prints.

 

It gets quite messy - you have to put paint on your baby’s hand or foot and then stop them wiping it on themselves or you before you are able to get them to place it flat on a piece of paper! Then the other details and embellishments are added by the parent, as this particular class is for pre-walkers so the babies are too young to do it themselves.

 

The theme this week was birds, and my little girl made a picture of two robins sitting on branches with handprints in paint.

 

I decided to turn it into a card so when we got home I glued the picture onto a blank card and had a think about a suitable sentiment. The phrase ‘a little bird told me’ sprang to mind straight away then the rest followed and seemed perfect for a get well card - ‘you’re not feeling so chirpy’!  I wrote the sentiments on the computer and stuck them on the front of the card and inside printed ‘get well soon’.

 

I gave my mum the card when I went to visit a couple of days later addressed to granny from my daughter - she really liked it and hopefully it helped cheer her up a little bit!

 

I'm sharing this with the following craft blog challenges: The Male Room - nature (this card would work for a man easily!)

Paper Funday - anything goes

Everybody art challenge - anything goes

Unicorn challenge - things with wings

Heart 2 Heart challenges - creative cards

 

 

 

Meal Planning Monday 2019 Week 4

My mum is still in hospital (this is her 4th week) but she is recovering really well and I think pretty close to being allowed to go home, which is brilliant. I don't really know when I'm going to visit her in advance at the moment as it depends on when she is going home, what help she and my dad will need, and if I get any more job interviews - everything is quite up in the air at the moment really!

I've been winging it so far this week but had an online shop last night and realised if I don't plan meals, food will sit in the fridge until its use by date and I won't get around to cooking it. I also wanted to make some more meals for baby S though I seem to be running out of freezer space with all the little plastic tubs we've got in there now!

So right now it's nearly 10pm and I've got two pans of veg cooking to make some baby meals - this is the first time I've been able to stop all day!

Monday
I went to see my mum in hospital and we had something easy from the freezer for dinner when I got back, I can't even remember what it was!

Tuesday
We had hunter's chicken (ready made) with potato croquettes

Wednesday
Breakfast for baby S - porridge with banana
Lunch for baby S - crumpet with soft cheese
Lunch for us - hot dogs
Dinner for baby S - pasta with tomato sauce, veg and chicken followed by half a fruit pot
Dinner for us - burger and chips - not good when you consider what we had for lunch, this is why I need to plan - the planning starts here!

Thursday
Breakfast for baby S - porridge with fruit if time, just milk otherwise, as we have to go out shortly after 10
Lunch for baby S rest of veg and chicken from yesterday mixed into pasta with a cheese sauce and a tiny bit of bacon for her to try
Lunch for us bacon sandwich
Dinner for baby S Cod with butternut squash, leek, potato and kale (veg mix cooked in advance and batch frozen) followed by apple and plum crumble
Dinner for us  roast chicken - it's not Sunday but why not, since neither of us is in work at the moment!

Friday
Breakfast for baby S porridge with fruit - I did try her with Cheerios but she found them a bit difficult to manage so it's back to porridge for the moment
Lunch for baby S - chicken pieces with roasted veg from yesterday (finger food)
Lunch for us - cheese and ham toasties
Dinner for baby S - chicken with mixed veg from freezer followed by rest of apple and plum crumble
Dinner for us - chicken curry

Saturday
Breakfast for baby S crumpet
Lunch for baby S banana egg-free pancakes
Lunch for us  pancakes
Dinner for baby S - moussaka
Dinner for us - slow cooked gammon in apple juice

Sunday
Breakfast for baby S porridge with fruit or toast as we may be at my MIL's
Lunch for baby S finger food of pitta with fish paste, cucumber, cheese and any interesting fruit or veg I find at my MIL's!
Lunch for us If we are still at my MIL's, probably a bacon sandwich
Dinner for baby S - gammon from yesterday with veg
Dinner for us sausage casserole

Meal Planning Monday 2019 Week 3

This is the first meal plan I've managed to do so far this year as 2019 didn't start off as expected - my mum was rushed into hospital on December 30th and spent a week in intensive care, most of that unconscious. Thankfully she is now awake and on the mend on a ward where she will be for a couple more weeks; I've been to visit several times already but then had a cold so was asked to stay away while her immune system is still weak. And with a job interview for myself and a meeting with a recruiter for my husband this week I'm not sure if I will be able to visit more than once this week (the hospital is a 2.5 hour journey away at least but last time it took me 4 hours to get back) and I've got a 10 month old baby at home to look after as well. So for the moment I'm planning to visit on Monday and then maybe later in the week again or at the beginning of the week after.

Saturday
Lunch for us beans on toast (in a hurry to take baby S out to a play session)
Lunch for baby S crumpet with houmous
Dinner for us steak and chips
Dinner for baby S homemade risotto (in freezer)

Sunday
Breakfast for baby S cereal
Lunch for us sausage and egg muffins
Lunch for baby S pitta bread with houmous, peanut butter, cucumber sticks, cheese etc
Dinner for us spaghetti and meatballs
Dinner for baby S homemade beef casserole (in freezer) with extra veg

Monday
I'll be away visiting my mum in hospital
Breakfast for baby S porridge or toast, whichever my husband finds easiest
Lunch for us I will be out so whatever is easiest; my husband won't get much time looking after baby S by himself so I will leave him something ready made in the fridge
Lunch for baby S jar of baby food
Dinner for us not sure when I will be back (South Western Railway let me down last time) so something easy from the freezer
Dinner for baby S Depends when I am back but possibly another jar of baby food or something homemade from the freezer

Tuesday
Breakfast for baby S cereal
Lunch for us just me today as my husband is meeting a friend for lunch - I think I will have a jacket potato with a  tuna filling that baby S can also eat
Lunch for baby S tuna pasta from this Annabel Karmel recipe
Dinner for us seabass in watercress sauce with veg and new potatoes for me,
Dinner for baby S chicken and butternut squash Annabel Karmel recipe

Wednesday
I'm in London at a job interview this morning so my husband will be holding the fort for breakfast and lunch.
Breakfast for baby S porridge or toast
Lunch for him something ready made he can easily eat
Lunch for baby S something from a jar or the freezer that my husband can easily serve
Dinner for us rest of seabass for me (two portions frozen together) with lemon and garlic sauce; chicken breast with the same sauce for him
Dinner for baby S fish with butternut squash, kale and peas from this Annabel Karmel recipe

Thursday
Breakfast for baby S porridge, toast or cereal
Lunch for us mini pizzas
Lunch for baby S mini pizza
Dinner for us sausage casserole
Dinner for baby S homemade risotto from the freezer

Friday
Breakfast for baby S porridge, toast or cereal
Lunch for us just me I think today as my husband has a meeting with a recruiter - he is looking for a job as well - I'll have a sandwich
Lunch for baby S selection of finger food
Dinner for us chicken goujons with chips
Dinner for baby S something ready made to save time so we can tidy up before people come tomorrow

Saturday
Breakfast for baby S porridge, toast or cereal
Lunch for us bacon sandwich
Lunch for baby S pitta bread with tuna mayo and sweetcorn based on this Annabel Karmel recipe
Dinner for us having friends to stay - TBA
Dinner for baby S something ready made

Sunday
Breakfast for baby S porridge, toast or cereal
Lunch for us very excited today that I am having a proper 'dinner party' even though it's lunch time - you will be able to read more on the blog soon!
Lunch for baby S jar of baby food at her grandmother's house (with daddy as he's not coming to the 'dinner party' - it's just girls!)
Dinner for us  TBA
Dinner for baby S TBA