Merry Freaking Christmas

Goose isn't overly impressed with the Christmas festivities but the jumpers a hit, the Santa outfit not so much!

And we'll the elf one....oh dear.

Thankful

Today I am feeling pretty thankful; I have lost 11 lbs in 10 days through a little bit of effort but not much hardship.  I've been a bit grumpy with it but it shows that when I put my mind to it I really can do amazing things.

But by the by, its now the week of my birthday (well in the 7 days leading up to the event) and its a perfect time to take a breath and be a little bit thankful.

So I am thankful for my family - my little home with Pepsi and Goose really does make me happy and I am thankful for the feeling of security and warmth and love I get there.

I am thankful for my true family - whilst I appreciate I will never be thin enough, polished enough or enough for my Ma I know that I am loved and I love and we have each other.

I am thankful for my friends, I miss you and wish we were closer but I am thankful for the long long friendships we have forged and the strength we give each other be that over motorways or seas and land.

I am thankful for my work - it drives me crazy and I get frustrated but I am at the start of something that is amazing and I am lucky to be here.

So I made pie - pumpkin pie - and I am thankful for the opportunity to share it.

Today is a good day.

Countdown (16 days to go)

Yep only 16 days until I turn 40.....gulp.

I thought it didn't bother me, that it was just a number.  However my refusal to organise anything to celebrate and my avoidance of the facts probably should have given me a sign sooner that it does mean something....

So I have drinks organised post work - a little bit of a cop out; do it on a school night so that no one wants to stay out too late or get too lairy etc.

However, I tried on some clothes on Saturday and couldn't fit into anything so I am on a low carb diet for the next 2 weeks in an effort to at least fit into something for my birthday week that doesn't have an elasticated waist!

I am tracking my food intake over here on You Ate How Much? if you want to see my progress (hopefully). I'm hoping that writing it down will make it all very very real.

So I'm off to have a peppermint tea (oh joy).

NFL London Style

A cold Sunday at the end of October we and 84,000 other NFL fans headed to Wembley to see the St Louis Rams play the New England Patriots.

So the Patriots were expected to win and impress they did - you can see why they made it to the Superbowl last year (even if they didn't win).

American Football can be slow and if you're not a fan can seem very stop start, what with the TV timeouts and all.

We had a great evening and I'm looking forward to he two games next year.

Lipstick, powder and paint

Fabulous few hours at The Powder Room, Columbia Road.

I'm ready for my night out now.

Not so baby steps

Big day today....BIG DAY.

We've been separated two year so it was time to talk the big D.

I mentioned, he agreed, I said I'd send the papers, he said fine.

It's happening, in the next few months I'll be divorced.

So married before I was 30 and divorce started before I'm 40.

Hey I really do those milestones right?

So it's moving forward, moving on, just moving.

I feel sad and happy and sad and well sad I guess.

Phew big day, big steps.

A few fab things for Christmas

I know its still two months away but sometimes getting in early is the way forward (those of you that know me will find this hard to read...)

Some ideas for what to buy people



personalised 'your top twenty songs' print by milly's cottage | notonthehighstreet.com - £34, what a fab idea for someone who loves their music.




Want yo do your  bit for Bees but a full on bee hive a bit too much of a committment?  Well how about a Bee hotel?

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/wudwerx/product/small-bee-hotel - £19.95 for one tier, but scroll down for the more delux 2 and 3 tier hotels!



He always needs socks right? So here's an answer to the missing sock dilema - http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/twistedtwee/product/a-pair-and-a-spare-socks - £12




Have a canine friend who is the best thing since sliced bread?  Then this is perfect for £29.50, you can personalise the breed and text  http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/sundaebest/product/personalised-puppy-print



Or a little person who love the doggie? http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/sgtsmith/product/personalised-robot-and-robot-dog-t-shirt £19 for this personalised t-shirt



And for the stylish pooch him (or her) self http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/muttsandhounds/product/audly-hand-quilted-waterproof £45



This personalised family tree is a lovely gift for friends http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/kyleighspapercuts/product/personalised-family-tree-papercut its not cheap at £55 but I think its lovely.



Want something that keeps on giving - look the Cake Slice Club will deliver a slice a cake a month for 3 or 6 months (£18.50 or £36) http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/thecakenest/product/cake-club

An alternative to dundee cake and marmalade for Gran - look at this:



http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/crumb/product/cake-and-mulled-wine-christmas-gift-box for £24 this is a great gift and they have some other fab afternoon tea box sets too.


Right I am off to start my Christmas shopping.  Enjoy!

40th Birthday Afternoon (Gin) Tea

It was London Cocktail week recently and whilst I couldn't get to any of the bar events that week I did manage to go to a Ginstitute with my brother and Helen from the office.

We tottered down to Seven Dials for our 6pm class run by our Gin Instructor Mr Jake F Burger (you can read a bit more about him here (paywall)) and our small class of five settled down to learn more about Gin.  We were served with a lovely fresh Tom Collins made with their very own Portobello Gin (which you could buy on the day to take home).

We learned about the basics - and the need for Gin to be predominantly juniper in flavour then he led us through the various botanicals, spices, peppers and fruits and then a few surprises including a distillate made from Tea.....

We then got to blending our own which was signed off by the Ginstructor and sealed up to take home - the blend is recorded and kept on file (see mine CW004) so you can re-order as and when.

Helen, Jon and I made very different Gins - Helen's was a perfect sophisticated Martini blend - clean with a great kick at the end, whilst Jon's was robust and spicey - a perfect for Christmas Martini's.

Mine is more delicate and makes a lovely refreshing G&T.

If you fancy it then you can find out more here I'll be sharing mine with friends as part of my 40th Birthday celebrations next month.  In the mean time I'm enjoying the Portobello Gin; chin chin x

St Mawes & Portscatho

It's the last day of our jolibobs so we took advice from friends and headed to St Mawes & Portscatho  

We started at the visitor centre and picked up a map, then headed down to the harbour for breakfast.  Himself nipped to the butchers who gave us some fresh bones for Goose for the price of a small donation to the air ambulance.

Whilst sat out eating we saw today's freshly made Cornish pasties being delivered to the bakery, we snaffled two to take home for a late lunch and they had all three of us drooling.

We sauntered up to the castle (a Henry VIII fort), had a chat with the guide there and let Goose have a wander on the small beach.

Then it was back into town and a stop at Olga Polizzi's Hotel Tresanton for ice cream and coffee on the terrace.  The hotel, staff and ice cream were amazing.  It was a balmy 15 degrees so my nose is a little ruby and I have a smattering of freckles.

Afterwards we drove along to Portscatho, then down to the beach to let Goose run around.

Home by 4 tired but happy and then the perfect sunset to end a fabulous week.

Lost Gardens of Heligan

We're on holiday this week - down on the Cornish Coast just outside St Austell.  So far we have walked a bit of the Coastal Path (steep and muddy!) and from Pentewan to Megavissey via the Pentewan path (steep again but beautiful).  Had comfort food (fish and chips, toad in the hole, beef stew and dumplings) and local beer (St Austell brewery - noice).

But today we want to take it a bit easy after being laid up yesterday and full of cold, so we went to the Lost Gardens of Heligan which is between St Austell and Megavissey.

Its a beautiful garden with many different areas from formal ornamental gardens, to a veg patch on a commercial scale, through the New Zealand garden, a jungle and some fantastic sculptures from charcoal and mud.

Dogs are allowed (on leads) from 1st October and through the winter but there are livestock and birds so if yours is excitable you might want to doggy day care.

We finished off back at the shop/tea room for lunch which is made with local and even Heligan grown ingrediants.

Before heading back to the cottage we took Goose to the beach so he could have a run around.....he seems to love it

As both he and himself are fast asleep now I'm guessing it was a good day out!

Love this song

Perfect song


Just perfect

Time passes

My stepsons have turned 16 & 14 this month. I genuinely have no idea where the time has gone.