Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

Avenue Q at The New Theatre Peterborough – View from my seat

I was gifted tickets in exchange for my honest review.

All opinions remain my own (with slight influence from the bad idea bears)

Avenue Q is not like your average musical

When I was invited to the recently rebranded and refurbished New Theatre, Peterborough to watch Avenue Q this week, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew there would be puppets. I knew there would be songs. It was made pretty clear that it would be rude. That was the extent of my knowledge about the show.

What’s The Story?

The show centres around the residents of Avenue Q.

There is Princeton, a bright-eyed graduate who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account.

Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fiancée Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his closet gay Republican roommate Rod.

An Internet ‘sexpert’ called Trekkie Monster, Lucy the Slut (yes, really!) and a very cute kindergarten teacher named Kate Monster.

Avenue Q first opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003, before transferring to Broadway later that year where it won three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. In 2006 it transferred to the West End where it ran for five years before touring the UK. It has appeared in more than ten countries all over the world. This show is really popular and with good reason!

Family night out?

Although it all looks like an episode of Sesame Street, do not be fooled. It is definitely not for kids. I would say 14 and up would be absolutely fine if they aren’t particularly sensitive.  I was going to bring 13 year old Bess along but I have to be honest and say I was glad I decided to wait and take her next year. One particular scene was about as graphic as a scene with puppets could possibly be – and utterly hilarious. That said, I would have no qualms about listening to the soundtrack with her.

After years of watching shows like The Furchester Hotel and imagining the characters dropping the F word (Oh come on, as if you haven’t imagined Flop finally snapping at Bing!?) I feel like this show is aimed directly at me and people like me.

I went to see the show with my Mum and we both found it to be laugh out loud funny. The 2 and a half hour runtime (with 15min interval) absolutely flew by. I loved the characters and the way that the whole thing played out. Despite some of the gags and songs being very close to the knuckle, Avenue Q has a real feel good quality about it.

I have been humming “Everyone’s a little bit racist” for near on 24 hours now. The underlying message of the show is that life is short and that everything,even Boris Johnson, as the cast sang (to applause) is only for now and if you can fit the word Schadenfreude into a musical number, you definitely should.

Avenue Q is playing at The New Theatre, Peterborough until Saturday 28 September.

New Theatre

I decided to attend my first show at New Theatre with my Mum who happens to have arthritis and a blue badge. My first memories of being here were of seeing Peter Pan in this building at what was then the Odeon at Christmastime when I was very young (probably with my Dad, while Mum ran round the shops I imagine)

Sometimes Mums limited mobility can pose a bit of a problem but New Theatre appear to have it covered! We were able to park very close to the theatre and there was an accessible entrance with a lift to avoid the steps at the front of the building. There was a disabled seating area on the upper level and disabled toilet. We hadn’t been assigned seats there but it’s useful to know for the future. New Theatre, Peterborough also offers complimentary tickets to essential carers for disabled visitors

Our seats

I was a bit worried when I saw that our seats were to the side. In some theatres your view can be somewhat restricted – sometimes by a huge amount.

For this performance we had been assigned seats P8 and P9 which come under the slightly less expensive price bracket. I would definitely choose these seats again.

View from seat P8 New Theatre Peterborough

View from seat P8 New Theatre Peterborough

 

They were roomy enough for my size 22 bottom and had loads of legroom. Mum was pleased that her seat on the aisle was angled in such a way that she felt well supported and could stretch out if need be. Our view of the stage was great with no restriction really at all.

At one point I did go to seat P1 to see what a seat with a restricted view would be like. I took a photo of the stage from P1 and as you can see, the restriction is really minimal.

I am really excited to see what’s next for  New Theatre, Peterborough. It’s such an iconic building in our city and I cannot wait to make new memories here with my family.

View from seat P1 New Theatre Peterborough

View from seat P1 New Theatre Peterborough

 

Back To School And Cream of Tomato Soup Recipe With Piccolo Tomatoes | Ad

This a paid collaboration. All opinions remain honest and my own. 

Moose isn’t keen on vegetables. My two eldest lulled me into a false sense of security by eating pretty much anything I put in front of them. I thought I had it all worked out as I watched my darling little ones gobble down salads or curries or the odd stir fry.

Then Moose came along to humble me.

He has shown me that just because you think you know what you are doing as a parent. Just because something worked for one child (or two) it definitely does not necessarily mean it will work for all.

So. With Moose I have had to be crafty with veg. I have had to plan out how to hide vegetables in meals. How to pack as many nutrients into a meal as is possible – and also how to just accept that he will eat vegetables when he is ready and in his own way.

When I was approached recently by Gautier Semences, the providers of piccolo tomato seeds to British nurseries and asked to write about Piccolo tomatoes I took it as a challenge.

How could I best use them in a way that Moose would eat them.

Piccolo tomatoes are a small vine tomato, they have a sweet taste which means that they appeal to younger palates – and older ones with a sweet tooth like I do! They are originally from Latin America and were introduced to Europe during the 16th century. The French called it the “apple of love”.

Piccolos are low in calories but high in nutrients such as vitamin C and Lycopene which is an antioxidant said to help prevent heart disease and certain cancers!

My delivery of Piccolo tomatoes was sent from Glinwell Nurseries which are not too far from us. Although I am far from green fingered I do still prefer to buy British fruit and veg where I can to keep my carbon footprint low and to be able to watch Panorama specials with a clear conscience because I know I am doing what I can.

Piccolo tomatoes are so versatile.

My delivery arrived while the children were at school. I couldn’t wait to get started though! The first meal I had with the tomatoes was a simple cheesy pasta dish which I added a few roasted piccolo tomatoes to. A really easy way to add nutrients to a lunch and what goes together better than cheese and tomato? In my opinion, pretty much all veg taste better when roasted.

After school I showed Moose the tomatoes. He wasn’t quite brave enough to try one raw but he was excited to help me make soup!

We had so much fun getting all of the ingredients together and making a lovely cream of tomato soup which was packed full of vitamins. Moose scoffed the lot! I can’t think of anything more enticing after a day back at school than to sit down to cream of tomato soup and fresh bread. Knowing that this was my own take on a classic and didn’t have any nasty additives in it was even better!

I prefer to remove the skins from tomatoes before making soups or sauces with them. There is a really easy trick to this (thanks Mum). You have to score an X into each tomato, pop them into a pan of boiling water for 1 minute and then transfer to an ice bath or very cold water. The skin comes away really easily.

Cream of tomato soup

Ingredients

  • 800g Piccolo tomatoes
  • tbsp butter or some spray oil
  • 1 red onion (I used ready chopped frozen onion)
  • Carrot (I used a tin of sliced carrots I found in the back of the cupboard. Drain them though)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Basil leaves to taste (I used 3)
  • 400ml Chicken stock

You could also add roasted peppers but I didn’t this time.

Method

  • Fry off the chopped onion in the oil/butter for a few minutes until softened- add the carrot if not using the tinned variety.
  • Add the squashed clove of garlic (don’t bother chopping it, it will be whizzed up later anyway)
  • Add the tomatoes and basil leaves and simmer on a low heat. I left mine for around 20 minutes. You can cook down a bit more but I know that nutrients are lost with a longer cooking time.
  • Pour in the chicken stock
  • Simmer for a few more minutes
  • Use a stick blender to get rid of all of the lumps (aka evidence)
  • Season and add a dollop of cream or creme fraiche if you forgot the cream and your rubbish corner shop only stock creme fraiche <fume>
  • Present your finished soup to your darling child and rub your hands with glee while they eat up all of their veg without complaint.
  • Help yourself to some yourself because you made it with spray oil so it is very Slimming World friendly. Hurrah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Arrows week 36 2019

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

Each week I like to (try and) link up to a series called Living arrows which is about celebrating childhood. You can find out more here

The first photo this week was taken on a trip we made to our local farm. Moose had a real issue with his nerves (or so I thought) and always seemed to hesitate when trying new things – especially physical things. Since he started wearing glasses to correct a lazy eye he seems to have become a bit braver. Maybe it wasn’t his nerves after all!

The second photo is of Bess and Moose on their first day back to school. Summer flew by and now I have a little boy in year 1 (which seems so much bigger than having a little one in reception somehow?) and Bess is starting year 9. Year 9 means the beginning of GCSE’s for Bess. GCSE’s! Already! The school has decided to stretch what was a 2 year course in my day (aka eons ago) to a 3 year course. I think it will be a good thing for the students but time will tell on that one..

 

 

Living Arrows

Getting prepared for Back To School with Ace | gifted

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last month or two, you must have seen the latest cleaning craze which has hit social media. The likes of Mrs Hinch and (my personal preference) The Queen of Clean have been everywhere and so, the Zoflora has been out out for many a Mum and Dad.

The thing is though

I am not a naturally organised person. Cleaning is not how I express myself or what I consider to be any kind of fun. With that in mind I wasn’t feeling too enamoured when I was sent some Ace cleaning products recently – I mean, sure, I was happy to try them out of course. If anyone could pose a challenge it would be my adventurous 4 year old, Moose!

But me and cleaning? it was all a bit, meh! I have 3 children so stains are not a stranger in our home but I have always been a bit disbelieving of the claims of some of these cleaning products – mainly due to experience.

The day after our products arrived, my 4 year old son arrived home after school and it was like the planets had aligned. He got changed into his play clothes and when he handed me his polo shirt I had to laugh, I have no idea what he did at school that day but it was MESSY! It just so happened that I had been sent Perfect timing.

Exhibit A

The first thing I did was to soak the shirt in a mix of COLD water and Ace for whites. It has to be cold water because hot water decomposes the active ingredient of bleach in the product and renders it ineffective. I didn’t know that either until pretty recently and I am 36 and have kept 3 other humans alive, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t know either.

After a while of soaking (it was going to be about half an hour but I was distracted and ended up coming back to it about 2 hours later – oops) most of the stains were gone. I then just popped the shirt into the washing machine and let it do it’s magic along with a little capful of the ACE for whites to give it a bit of help.

This was the result. Before and after – just for you!

So the shirt is again like new. I know this won’t last, there will be more stains and plenty of them. All marking out how Moose has played that day. Now that I know I have a cleaning product which works, that seems a more pleasant prospect than it had previously.

To help with your stains at home, head to ACE clean UK to find out more.  ACE can also be found in Tesco, Sainsbury’s Morrisons and Waitrose

Long live stains and creativity and pushing the boundaries – and thank goodness for ACE!

We received some Ace products in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are honest and our own.

 

Hills Science Plan Pet Food Review | Ad

We received a bag of Hill’s Science Plan and payment in return for writing this post. All opinions are our own. 

Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken is a complete dried dog food especially designed for older dogs. When we were offered some for Fudge to try though, well, I wasn’t sure she would be interested. 

Beagles are supposed to almost completely led by their stomach. That is to say that it would be foolish to trust even a well trained Beagle alone in a room with any kind of food. Then there is Fudge. 

Fudge is our 13 year old Beagle.

She enjoys bullying hedgehogs, chewing socks and leaving dog hair all over the house. She is also surprisingly picky when it comes to her grub. Fudge will not, for example, entertain any kind of dog treat. She loves a little cheese or cooked meat as a snack. Any kind of dog chew or treat though? Forget it! 

Fudge is equally as fussy when it comes to her meals. As a rule she likes to eat twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Now that she is a bit older she prefers not to eat her morning meal all in one go. Choosing instead to graze on it throughout the early part of the day. 

This is all well and good for her but over the summer it becomes problematic for us. Fudge prefers wet food but flies are attracted to it if it is in her bowl for very long. Not great on those long hot days in August. Not to mention the smell. Oh dear lord, the smell! 

I have tried her with dry food in the past. Mostly she eyes it with suspicion and then ignores it until I throw it out and give her a tin of chunks in gravy (she isn’t even massively keen on the stuff in jelly to be honest). 

The day Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken arrived

It was promising then that on the day our Hills dog food arrived she showed a fair amount of interest before I had even opened the bag. 

I really like the packaging of the Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken we were sent. The bag can be opened by hand and has a velcro reseal which keeps the biscuits inside nice and fresh for longer. 

The biscuits appeared to be larger than other dry dog foods I had seen and I did wonder whether Fudge;s poor old teeth could manage them. She managed absolutely fine!

She tried a couple of biscuits at first and over the course of about a week we introduced the Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken into her daily diet, mixing it in with her regular brand. 

Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken is formulated to sustain mobility and healthy vital organs. With clinically proven antioxidants, and glucosamine and chondroitin from natural sources.

Key Benefits

  • Joint and mobility support with glucosamine and chondroitin from natural sources.
  • Sustains healthy vital organs with balanced sodium and phosphorus levels.
  • Highly digestible ingredients for optimal nutrient absorption.
  • Made with high quality ingredients for great taste. 100% guaranteed.

2 weeks in and she is having a big bowl of Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken in the morning and then a tin of chunks in gravy mixed with a few more biscuits in the evening. This has been great for us because it means that I don’t need to worry about those pesky flies anymore or have to live with the dog food pong on hot days! 

Fudge is loving her new meal plan too.

She is full of energy and looking really healthy and most importantly she seems to like the biscuits! Plus, between you and me. Her breath (and her wind) is SO much better having some dry food incorporated into her diet. We will definitely be continuing to use Hill’s Science Plan. You can purchase Hill’s Science Plan here or you can find it at all good Pet shops.