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Alice, 38, lives in Hove with her husband, young son and dog. Our Reluctant Housewife will try anything once, even if it’s only to get her out of the house!

MERRY CHRISTMAS: A Festive Message from The Housewife

I’m certainly not The Queen, but I like to think I am queen of my little household, so here is a message for my subjects:

A landmark day at a local landmark: Baby goes to the cinema...

This week I took Baby for his first visit to the cinema. A landmark day indeed! Most can remember an early cinema experience, grown men still get a bit moist thinking about that first outing to the local fleapit to see Star Wars. For me it was Bambi, although I don’t remember too much about it apart from terrible emotions and a sense of being overawed. Apparently I was taken out of the theatre when Bambi’s mother died.

All Those Children...

I was prompted to write this by a comment made to me by a complete stranger this week. Whilst lunching in a café with Baby we were playing, laughing, cuddling and singing together, an old gentleman next to me came over and said how lovely it was to see a mother enjoying her child. He then showed me the article he was reading – another sensational story in a red-top about the mother who had left her four young children alone to go drinking. We chatted for a bit about how upset these stories made us and how incredible it was people could treat their innocent babies in such a way. He shook his head sadly and said: “I feel sorry for all those children…”

Festive Music To My Ears

This weekend saw Husband, Baby and I get festive down at the Brighton Dome for a Christmas themed concert by the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. A performance of three well-known (but not too flashy) delights spread over a couple of hours to get you in the seasonal swing of things.

ALICE’S PARTY: Help yourself to a little cheesy-pineapple one

I love old fashioned food. My favourite tea is a boiled ham, parsley sauce, marrowfat peas and potatoes. I don’t want sorbet or soufflé, I want custard – preferably poured over a hot sponge pudding. A buffet has to have orange coloured baked goods and vol-u-vents and the trifle is greatly underrated these days.

BIN & GONE - My Rubbish Life

I love throwing things away. I love the satisfaction you get when you finish something and file the packaging in the bin. I don’t get a thrill from snapping open the silver seal on a jar of coffee with a spoon like some, I get a thrill from pouring out the last of the grains into the spoon!

PHOENIX RISING: Brighton Artists on the Up!

Its always worrying when a friend asks you to go and see their exhibition, to view their art, to judge their creativity. What do you do if you don’t like it?

A Stranger At The Table? Brighton does Come Dine With Me

Ever since being turned down to appear on the popular C4 show Come Dine With Me I have been smarting, I can barely watch the programme anymore. After what I thought was a great interview it seems there are other would-be TV cooks and guests in Brighton far wittier and exciting than me. I was crushed. So to find out that as part of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival there would be an Open Dining event was fantastic news. So this Friday night Husband and I found ourselves walking to someone’s house we had never met before in order to sample their cooking.

Get Your Kicks on Route 700?

You might have seen that unfamiliar looking blue and white bus travelling through the centre of Brighton and out towards Hove and beyond? It’s the Coastliner 700. Its nothing to do with the cream and red buses that are operated by The Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company and so you probably ignore it? Maybe you’re a bit confused by it? Why is it here The Usurper? Its not one of our buses! Well no but it still has a lot to offer…

Have you seen this bear?

This week I have been slightly miserable, a black cloud has been chasing me and I can pin point it to the day we lost Baby’s Blankie Bear. It might not seem a big deal – and it was so dirty and scrappy it definitely didn’t look a big deal – but my heart is broken.

Going for Golden Oldies

This weekend saw me singing with the choir at a local old folks home in Hove. Perhaps not the first thing you think of doing on a sunny Sunday afternoon when everyone you know is knocking back red wine and a roast dinner but I’m glad that I did.