My first post

I'm a big blog fan. I love reading other people's blogs and commenting on them but for a while now I have been thinking 'I can do that, and I would really like to'. So, after agonising over the naming of the blog, seriously, naming my child was easier... here I am and i'd like to tell you a little bit more about me.

The blog's name is a product of my proud Lancastrian roots, admittedly county boundaries now dictate that we live in Greater Manchester now (and actually have done so since before I was born) but I'm going to ignore that. I've even lived in Yorkshire so am even more sure of the importance of the 'Red Rose County' to me.

I'm a first-time, stay at home mummy in my, ahem, mid-thirties. I have a little boy (the 'bud') of 18 months who swings between being a one-boy demolition crew and the snuggliest, cuddliest baby boy ever. I love being at home with him and we try to do lots of fun things together, especially outside as he loves to be out in the fresh air more than anything else. He does about a hundred funny things every day and I hope to share a few of them with you. Other things the bud loves are animals, all of them, real or toy, books and balls.

When I was younger I always wanted to be a sports journalist and did lots of writing on school newspapers, newsletters etc but, by and by, my plans changed and I ended up with a career in the public sector from which I was made redundant just after returning from maternity leave in the summer. I've never lost my love of writing though and I plan to use this blog as an outlet for the words that wander almost constantly around my head!

I'm very opinionated and love to share my opinion with anyone who will listen so I plan to tell my readers about things that we have found, new products, days out, recipes, activities, whatever we find really. I also really love a bargain so will be sharing any of those that I find too.

Spending time together as a family is really important to us and we try to get out and do something fun every weekend. Our extended family is really important to us too, and we are lucky to have the majority of them living close by, so you will probably meet the bud's grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends through my posts too.

My main interests, when I get a minute and the Bud is in bed, are cookery and baking (although the Bud likes to help me with this too), crafts and I am also researching my family tree. This all keeps me busy as you may imagine! Red Rose Daddy is a keen gardener and keeps us well supplied with various fruit and vegetables grown in our back garden throughout the year. He is also very athletic and loves the gym and runs marathons, or he will when he finally gets accepted by the London Marathon anyway - he has run three other marathons in other places. He is a Scout Leader and loves the opportunity to get out into the countryside, obviously a trait our Bud has inherited.

So, that's our little family introduced. I look forward to sharing more stories from our life together, and more of my thoughs on all manner of things, with you all.