Wow – how this week has flown by – and by the end of the day, the school Easter holidays will be upon us. Much as I love routine, I am always ready (as are G and B, of course!) for the break from it, and for the opportunity for more flexibility and lazy mornings.
Anyway, here are ten things which have brought a smile to my face this week.
1. My new lexpress drinks frother from Kitchen Craft. I’ve recently discovered the joys of Chai tea (thanks initially to Starbucks’ Chai Tea Latte!) and I decided that it would be great with frothy milk. It is brilliant! It was a real bargain, is so easy to use – literally taking ten seconds maximum to froth the milk – and is being enjoyed by not only me but also D, who can now have frothy coffee, and the children, who have been using it in milkshakes.
2. It is our first spring in this house, as we moved in last summer, so it is really interesting to see how the garden comes alive again, and which plants are shooting up in which areas of the garden. I’ve particularly liked the splashes of colour from the little bunches of spring flowers which have appeared – so pretty.
3. Reading! I’ve had a couple of afternoons this week when I’ve had workmen here for short periods of time – not long enough to do anything particularly meaningful with my time – so I did spend half an hour one afternoon sitting reading my new book, something which I never, ever do normally (I usually feel far too guilty and self-indulgent) and it was so lovely.
4. B’s birthday! B turned 12 last Saturday so we had a lovely family day. He had had a sleepover with his friends on the Friday night, which they all seemed to enjoy, but after they had left, it was just the four of us. He opened his cards and presents, then we went shopping as his birthday money and vouchers were burning holes in his pockets and while there, we ate at Ed’s Diner. We’ve never been there before but we all loved our meals, the “American diner” experience and the friendly, helpful staff. Then it was back home to watch a film. Nice day had by all, especially the birthday boy.
5. “Lie to Me” – Dan and I are working our way through this great programme on Netflix (we are currently about halfway through season 2) and are loving it. It stars British actor Tim Roth as the lead character, Cal Lightman, an expert body language scientist, and he is brilliant. He is so subtly absolutely hilarious but does seem to become a little more unhinged in each episode, so we’re intrigued as to how he’ll end up.
6. Sunshine – this has been very welcome indeed this week. Despite the fact that the mornings have still been pretty nippy (to say the least!), it has been lovely to enjoy the sunshine – and have to wear sunglasses for driving! It puts everyone in a much better mood and makes you believe that summer is on its way.
7. Yoga – I have done yoga of various sorts over the past 4 years and have always loved it, but I sometimes just get out of the habit of doing it. However, I recently came across Adriene Mishler and her 30 Days of Yoga challenge, which sounded really interesting, so this week I’ve signed up for it (it’s completely free, and you get an email and new video for each day, although all the videos are also on You Tube). I started on Wednesday, so have done days one and two so far, but I absolutely love it. Her manner and instruction really appeal to me – she seems so lovely – and it is a great way to start the day.
8. As well as doing his grade 4 piano exam this week (phew – we’re all glad that’s over!), B performed in a small, informal recital at school on Wednesday. It was lovely – a great opportunity for those who have private lessons outside of school, or who play instruments which don’t naturally feature in the usual orchestra or swing band, to perform and show what they can do. He played very well indeed!
9. Our woodburner! We keep thinking that we won’t be using it much more for a while, but then the evenings have been so chilly, that we are still lighting it every night (B makes a fabulous fire!) and loving it.
10. The puppies! They are just so good, cute and give the best cuddles. We have had some lovely walks in the sun this week and they love playing together so much, it’s great just to stop and watch them. They make us all so happy.
Have a fabulous weekend!