Well, what amazing weather we have had this week. Although I was feeling that I was ready for autumn, I certainly wasn’t going to complain about a little more summer, so the heat this week has been a real treat.

Anyway, here are some other things that have made me happy this week:

1. G completed her bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition last weekend, so it’s good to have that “ticked off” the list now. The weather was predictably very wet for the first half of day one, but then improved, and was perfect for the second day, so the girls had a good time – although were very, very glad to get home, showered and into comfortable beds!
2. As D and I therefore had the house to ourselves, we took the opportunity to get some jobs done. We had been planning to get a new bathroom fitted but that may be postponed for a little while, so we did some remedial work on it, and I have been painting it this week, so hopefully it will last us a little longer.
3. As  it was such a beautiful day on Sunday, and we had to head into the Peak District to collect G at the end of her expedition, we decided to make the most of the day, so went for a lovely five mile walk around the Wetton area. The views and houses around there are stunning, and the dogs loved it too, so it was such a great trip out.

Have a great few days everyone!

Well, the transition back to reality after the wonderful summer holidays has now happened, so new routines are being established and early mornings are again the norm. However, there have still been plenty of highlights from the past couple of weeks:

1. We ensured that we made the most of the last days of the summer holidays, enjoying another ten days in Norfolk, then a couple of days at home, before G went back to school. We had a lovely day out meeting friends at Rutland Water, where the children all went on the Aqua Park, before enjoying a picnic lunch and then back to our friends’ house for a quick drink.
2. After G had gone back to school, B and I went for a lovely walk with the dogs at Poppy Wood. It was really good to have a couple of days alone with him before he went back to school, so this was a special trip.

3. It was G’s turn to cook last week, and so she made us a delicious tapas feast on Thursday night, with meatballs, prawn and chorizo skewers and spicy squid – truly yummy!

Well, G is off on her DoE expedition this weekend (we have everything crossed for better weather for her then during the practice!), so D and I have some time to ourselves. We haven’t planned anything yet – but it will probably involve some kind of sorting or organising at some point, so wish us luck with that!! Have a great weekend!

Well, I’m not sure where the sun has gone, as I have woken up to grey, overcast skies and actual RAIN this morning, but we have had a lovely week in the beautiful weather, so I can’t complain – and it is good for the garden!

Here are the highlights:

1. We had a wonderful family day out to Warwick Castle last Saturday. D and I last went there in 1997, so it was a first for the children, and it was great. The weather was lovely, which meant that we could wander around, have our picnic, watch the trebuchet and jousting displays and complete the tower and ramparts walk in the sun, as well as doing one of the organised tours of the state rooms, which was really interesting. It really was such a good day.

Another couple of weeks have absolutely flown by, with plenty more “good stuff” going on, so here are the highlights:

1. G and B had a fabulous 11 days in France with their exchange family. They were looked after well, had great experiences of French life and had lots of fun doing different activities with the family, so it was a very successful trip. But it was also absolutely lovely to get them back home again on Monday night!
2. One thing that has made this school holiday such a joy has been that G and B have been getting on so well together, which makes for lovely, calm days – better for everyone!
3. A couple of weeks ago (already?!?!), D and I had our annual trip to CarFest – but this time without the children which did feel very strange. It was our first time at CarFest North, having visited CarFest South for the past four years, and the venue – Bolesworth Castle – was absolutely beautiful. As this is an equestrian eventing venue, they put on some show jumping displays, which were a very welcome addition to the daytime events, and were great to watch. The weather was very kind to us, and, on the whole, the music was good (“Faithless” though?? Really? What was that – apart from being very painful on the ears! Just awful!!), especially on the Sunday night, when the atmosphere was at its best.

4. I had a very successful – and also pretty speedy – trip to Ikea last week, managing to find exactly what I wanted without being distracted and coming away with far more than I had planned!

7. We followed this with a fabulous day out in the Peak District on Sunday. Again, the weather favoured us – it was beautifully sunny but with a breeze, which was great for walking, so we had a picnic, a circular walk which included sections by the river and then up and down some hills, ending with tea and cake at the tearooms – a perfect trip out!

8. Wednesday saw us heading off on a shopping trip to get the annual “school shopping” done. This was very successful – we managed to get all stationery and uniform requirements (I think!) so I now just need to start sewing labels on again!

So that’s been about it for the past couple of weeks – apart from D and I also celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary! Where did those years go? Crazy – but all good.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It’s Happy Friday time again already – the weeks seem to be passing so quickly at the moment! Anyway, here’s a little round up of my week:

1. We had a lovely trip to Yo Sushi with G on Saturday, to welcome her back from her trip to Germany. She had been the week previously with a friend, but it was a new experience for me and D. I’m not a huge fan of sushi, but there were plenty of other options, so I had the delicious chicken and Japanese fried rice below, which was really good.

2. G eventually got to enjoy her Christmas present last Sunday, when she had her flying lesson. She was up in the air for well over an hour and it was a beautiful day for it, so she really enjoyed it.

3. Stemming from my childhood, I’ve always loved beautiful stationery, so the new notebook that I bought at the start of the week has made me very happy indeed!

4. G and I had a lovely trip out with the dogs on Tuesday, walking them in Poppy Wood, followed by a quick stop off at Calke Abbey for a drink. There is a new dog agility trail at the wood, so it was great to see them loving it – and it’s always a great way to tire them out!

5. Being very aptly named, the poppies were out in force in Poppy Wood, looking absolutely beautiful, so they definitely brought a smile to my face.

6. Tilly had her annual check up and vaccinations at the vet on Tuesday, and it was really good to hear that she is still in very good shape, with an incredibly healthy heart, as, for a big dog, she is getting to quite a good age.

7. The summer holidays started properly on Wednesday when we went up to collect B, who is now home for almost eight weeks, which is lovely.

8. G and B enjoyed the first day of their summer holiday together yesterday with a trip to Bounce Revolution in Derby. They had a great, if rather exhausting and hot, hour, trying all the trampolines and “wipeout” style areas, so it was a real hit – and very amusing to watch!

9. I am continuing to enjoy doing workouts at home. Thank goodness for You Tube! There are so many different kinds of workouts and exercise programmes on there, for free, so I’ve been loving mixing and matching some of the individual routines, then alternating with a programme.

10. Today is the day that we decamp to Norfolk for 12 days, so we are really looking forward to that. After the busyness of the past few weeks, it will be lovely to get away and properly relax, so we are looking forward to lots of walks on the beach, kayaking, eating out, tennis, swimming, reading, etc. Bliss!

Well, it’s been a few weeks since I last posted, but that is simply due to the fact that I have been absolutely crazily busy with work, so have not had any spare time whatsoever. However, that craziness has now come to an end, so I’m back with a lovely Happy Friday list!

1. The first one has to be work. D and I made a decision about our business a few months ago, which was the reason behind all the hard work and long hours of the past few weeks. However, that all came to fruition last Friday, hence we have this week started a new chapter in the life of the business, which is 100% positive for absolutely everyone associated with it, which is so exciting and good to see. Definitely a cause for celebration.

Due to the fact that we are firmly entrenched in revision season at the moment, the last two or three weeks have been very quiet and uneventful, so there has been little to report. However, there have obviously been some highlights, so here’s a little round up of some of the things that have sparked joy recently.

1. A family trip to watch “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in Nottingham a couple of weeks ago. Everyone knows it’s a great, if very surreal, film, so we were intrigued as to how they would carry this off on a stage, but, of course, it was brilliantly done, and the flying car was suitably impressive! The cast was extremely strong – Lee Mead and Carrie Hope Fletcher had the lead roles, so they were obviously fantastic, as were Shaun Williamson and Michelle Collins. It was a “truly scrumptious” afternoon out!

It’s eventually Happy Friday time again! Not that there have been any reasons for it not to have been for the past couple of weeks but I’ve just been so busy with work that I haven’t had chance to sit down and gather my “happy” thoughts! But I’m back, so let me have a think:

1. The first fire-pit of the season has to feature this week. It was lovely to get back out in the garden one evening a couple of weekends ago, and sit around the fire, toasting marshmallows and drinking gin and tonic, of course!
2. A couple of weeks ago G and I went to see a local amateur production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which I really enjoyed. I think that this is an incredibly difficult show to tackle, as the songs seem so challenging, and the cast were unfortunately blighted by some sound issues at the start, but I thought it was a great performance,so it was a lovely night out.
3. I am currently loving all the colour in our garden – it’s just so pretty and bright. The tulips and bluebells have lasted for weeks now, which I didn’t expect, so it’s looking lovely.
4. Along these lines is the amazing blossom which is out everywhere right now. I love to see the pink or white blossom against a bright blue sky, and there is so much of it in our area – just beautiful.
5. I bought a couple of new dresses a week or so ago, which I am really pleased with. They were in the sale so were an absolute bargain, but I love them, as they are just every day dresses, so I should get lots of wear out of them.
6. Reading has continued to feature highly, the most notable books being “To Kill a Mockingbird”, which I re-read for book club, amazing myself by how little of it I remembered from studying it for GCSE; “The Cry” by Helen Fitzgerald – loved it; and I’m now halfway through “Stranger Child” by Rachel Abbott, which is keeping me very intrigued.
7. Morning walks! When the mornings are as beautiful as they have been recently, there is honestly no better way to start the day than with an early morning walk with the dogs. They are so excited to wake up and go straight out for an adventure and it is an invigorating way to begin the day.
8. My guilty pleasure- The Real Housewives of New York – is back! This really is my winding down, switching off treat – usually whilst ironing at the moment, as I haven’t had time to just sit. Those women are just unbelievable!
9. D and I had a great night out last Sunday at the All-Star Standup Tour in Derby Theatre. Four comedians, who have featured on such TV programmes as “Mock the Week”, all performed, and it was a brilliant night. Gary Delaney, Sean Hughes and Pete Firman were hilarious anyway – the least said about Jarred Christmas the better, to be honest – he did NOT go down a storm with the Derby crowd!
10. The last one has to be the weather! After the craziness of last week, which gave us rain, hail and even snow, this week’s warmth and sunshine has seemed even more glorious. Long may it continue!

I have a lovely weekend ahead, meeting a friend at Stowe tomorrow, then brunch with two of my sisters at Trentham Gardens on Sunday. What treats!

I hope that you all have a great weekend.

Well, it’s almost the weekend again – which is ALWAYS a good thing! We have got nothing planned, so I imagine that most of the time will be spent pottering (which I’m more than happy to do!). Hopefully, we will have some good weather, so that we can get the dogs out for some more lovely spring walks, so here’s to a happy weekend!

But, before that, just a few of the things that have made me smile this week:

1. The garden is slowly springing into life again, after our crazily wet winter. The lawn is still very, very wet,  but the flowers are beginning to bloom, which is adding some beautiful colour all over the place. I am particularly loving my tulips, which I planted in the autumn, and the bluebells, which are just so fabulous.

2. After re-painting our sitting room a few weeks ago, there was just something which I felt wasn’t quite right. I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it, but then I realised that it was the wooden coffee table and nest of tables. The shade of wood just didn’t blend in well with the new colour on the walls, which made them look quite dull, so I decided to paint them! Of course, they had to be white, so I spent a few hours transforming them, and I’m so happy with the result. This is a very light, bright room, as it  has two large windows, so the white furniture just seems to fit in there really well, so I am now far happier with the whole room.

From this –

to this –  

3. As well as enjoying the beautiful blooms in the garden, I have been loving having fresh spring flowers in the house too, especially daffodils and, my favourites, tulips.

4. We have eventually seen quite a lot of the sun this week, which has made walking the dogs far more pleasurable. However, it also helps that Honey has started behaving herself much more whilst we are out too. She has been going through a phase, for the past few weeks, of pulling dreadfully on her lead, and continued to do so even with a new anti-pull lead. However, I have been walking Lottie off her lead a lot more in the past week, which I thought might make Honey worse, but it seems to have had the opposite effect, which is great – and a lot less painful for my arm!

5. We had a lovely day last week when two of my close university friends came over for the day with their children. It worked out so well – the children all get on well together, so they entertained themselves for the most part, which gave us hours of time to chat and catch up, which was so nice – and overdue! It was so good to see them and spend that time together.

6. We had a really fun family night on Friday! We spent the evening playing a new family game on the X Box together, which was very entertaining, then watched an episode of our new favourite series which we ALL enjoy, Vera, ate lots of snacks, and then all slept downstairs in the sitting room together. The evening went so well that we said that we would do it again next time that B is home from school for the weekend!

7. Saturday saw us all taking a trip to the swimming pool together. As usual, it was really quiet, so we almost had the pool to ourselves, which was great, so we had a lovely time.

8. We then continued the family fun by having a “food night” on Saturday evening. We went shopping together, but each had a budget to buy our own food for the evening. This meant that we were all cooking at the same time, but making different meals – it was interesting to see what we all chose to make and how we handled the budget to make the most of the money to get what we each wanted.

9. G organised a fabulous surprise for me, which was so thoughtful. She made up a scavenger hunt around the house and garden, which she knows I absolutely love to do, and then the prize at the end was an early birthday present of a quilted Barbour jacket! I had absolutely no idea that she was going to do this, so it was a complete  shock, but so amazingly lovely.

10. Talking of G, she had two friends over this week, staying for a day followed by a sleepover, and, I have to say, she has the most lovely friends. They get on so well, and are so friendly and polite – it makes us very happy that she has such great people in her life.

So that’s it for this week. I hope that you all have a great weekend, whatever you are up to.

As it was Good Friday last week and we were away, I didn’t get around to writing my Happy Friday post, so this is a quick round up of the things which have made me smile over the past two weeks.

1. B came home from school for his birthday weekend – it was actually his birthday on the Monday, but he wanted to come home for the couple of days before, which was lovely. So we celebrated two days early, first with G and B completing the Closer to the Edge high ropes adventure course. This is located in Markeaton Park in Derby and is a great facility – it was very well organised and structured, and the children really enjoyed it – especially the powerfan descender and the zip wire! We then went on to Cosmo for his birthday meal, which went down very well with all of us.

2. It makes me so happy to see the spring flowers coming up in the garden – this week it has been the turn of hyacinths, but my tulips are very nearly there as well, so I can’t wait to see them bloom in the next few days.

3. The train journeys that B has started taking to and from school are fantastic, I have to say – they make a huge difference both financially and time-wise – and he really enjoys them, feeling very independent and mature. He has a few journeys under his belt now, and is very calm about the whole thing, even when there are three trains and a suitcase involved!

4. As I mentioned, we were away for the Easter weekend in Norfolk, which was as lovely as ever. We are so grateful that we have the house there – it really is the perfect getaway!

5. The weather was better than forecast whilst we were away, so we had some lovely walks – or runs, for the dogs! We seemed to experience every kind of weather apart from snow over the few days, but we certainly made the most of the glorious sunshine.

6. We also had quite a competitive time over the bank holiday weekend, as, when the weather wasn’t so good, we stayed in and played LOTS of games – Blokus and B’s new game, Scattergories, being the favourites – lot of fun!

7. Reading has also featured highly for me the past two weeks, especially with having some time away. My recent favourites have been Harlan Coben’s Hold Tight and Louise Douglas’ The Secret by the Lake.

8. During the evenings, after the children have gone to bed, D and I have been continuing to watch The Good Wife, which we are loving. I think we’re about halfway through the final series though, so the end is in sight!

9. On Wednesday, we popped into the Chinese supermarket in Derby, which was so interesting. I have never seen so many different kinds of noodles! We bought some Chinese sweets for G and B, which were really good, and then some curry paste and noodles, so we had Chinese chicken curry with rice vermicelli noodles for our dinner, which was sooo good!

10. One of the absolute highlights has to be the fact that we – eventually – completed the sale on a second house we owned in Norfolk this week! We bought it, with my sister and her husband, five years ago, to renovate and then sell on. The renovation part went really well. Not so the selling! It has therefore been rented out in the meantime, but we have, at long last, managed to sell it, which I am so happy about.

So the Easter holidays continue – I’m loving the lazier mornings, not having to get up at 6.30am but being able to stay in bed with a cup of tea and a good book, whilst the children lie in, so yes please to another week of that!

Have a great weekend!