Thyme, no photo, iPhone

1. The beef bourgignon is ready and I easily find the thyme stalks -- now deunuded of their tiny leaves.

2. They don't need to take my photo after all, which is a huge relief as my hair is unwashed, I have no make-up on, and I am recovering from the flu. It would not have been a good day to be immortalised on plastic.

3. My little boy loves my new iPhone game Tiny Monsters -- and so do I.

Orange, nap, book

1. I cut up a juicy orange for Aiden and it looks so good I have one for myself.

2. Dozing off for an afternoon nap with my sick little boy, warm under the covers.

3. An idea I have for a children's book.

Pantry, less tissues, hot bath

1. Reorganising the pantry, with the help of my little girl. We ended up with two garbage bags full of out-of-date stuff, and a beautiful tidy pantry. And four jars of garlic.

2. Only using a couple of dozen tissues today, not a couple of hundred. The cold is nearly over.

3. I'm thinking about having a hot bath to warm me down to my bones.

Sleep, Muppets, water

1. After a restless night with my headcold I am feeling very tired. Tim takes the kids out at 2pm and I fall into bed and sleep until 4.15.

2. Watching Season 3 of the Muppet Show on DVD. People probably think I bought it for the kids, but no.

3. Cool lemony water on a sore throat.

Bed, aloe vera, soup

1. I'm down with a tiresome headcold, so Tim organises the kids and walks them to school two days in a row while I stay snuggled down in bed surrounded by used tissues.

2. The softness of aloe vera tissues on a sore nose.

3. The hot salty goodness of chicken noodle soup.