Well, what a glorious week it has been! It has truly felt like summer has arrived  – even though we know it hasn’t really. But that means that we make the most of the weather even more, as we know it will probably last for a precious few days at this time of year.

So, what has made me happy this week?

1. My niece’s 21st birthday ceilidh last Saturday night. It was such a great way to celebrate, was lots of fun, and she had a fantastic night with so many family and friends around her. The dancing was so lively and enjoyable, just as you’d expect – you can’t help but smile (and laugh!) whilst dancing, and even G joined in, despite saying beforehand that she wouldn’t!

2. Part of the attraction of the night was also getting together with all the family. It isn’t often that we all manage to meet up, as I have three sisters, who all have families, and we live quite a distance apart, so it’s usually only on special occasions that we all meet up, so it is always really special when we do. We did miss B though, who was on his school trip in Italy, and was the only one missing.

3. We had a great family gym trip last Sunday, which was so nice. It was the first time that D, G and I all went together and it was fun!

4. My new haircut! I had about four inches cut off my hair last Saturday, and I’m really pleased with the result. It isn’t exactly what I had asked for, but it’s close enough (is it just me who struggles to convey exactly what I want to hairdressers and then struggle even more to say if there is something I’m not quite happy with?).

5. The upside of B being away this week is that I have had lots of quality time alone with G. We haven’t done anything super exciting – we’ve been on the trampoline, watched our favourite TV programmes, planted bulbs in the garden, had a successful trip to Ikea (followed by Starbucks, of course!), etc.  – but we’ve just had a lovely time together.

6. One of the fun things G and I did together was have a picnic lunch on the trampoline. We decided to make the most of the sun and it’s actually a really comfortable place to sit and eat. The only thing you have to remember is that, if you put your plate on the trampoline then climb on, the plate slides towards you and it is very easy to end up sitting in cottage cheese. Ahem – yes, that may have happened to me!

7. We have made yet more progress with the house modernisations this week, by painting our newly plastered bedroom. After much deliberation, we opted for Cloud Burst (grey!) for the walls, and white for the area above the picture rail, the ceiling and the woodwork, and we are so happy with the how it looks. When it is all completely finished, I’ll put some before and after photos up.

8. A list came out this week of the top 50 simple pleasures which make people happy and number one on the list was sleeping in a freshly made bed. I have to agree with this – there is nothing better than climbing into bed with clean, tight, straight, cold bedding, as we did this week after painting our room. It just feels so different, doesn’t it?

9. The final two things on my list this week are yet to happen, but they will no doubt make today an especially lovely day. The first is that G and I are going to my friend’s house for lunch. It will be lovely to catch up with her, and her two young children, who we haven’t seen in a while; to deliver our birthday present for her son, who will be a big two tomorrow; and to see their new house, as they recently moved. A very nice way to spend the last Friday lunchtime of the Easter holiday.

10. The final one which is happening later today is the return of B from Italy! We are so looking forward to having him home. It has been very quiet without him – at home, he never stops talking so is a very constant presence, but he is a boy of very few words by text! We have had a couple of brief conversations with him, so we know that he’s fine and has been enjoying himself, but we’re looking forward to hearing all the details of the amazing places he’s visited. G is particularly excited for him to come home, so has planned a very special meal for tonight. Talking of which, we need to get those ribs marinating!

So we are looking forward to having our little family all back together again this weekend. I hope that you all have a good one – and thank you for reading!

How on earth can it be April 10th already? It feels like it’s only just begun but we’re already heading to halfway through the month. I guess the lovely, long Easter weekend made a difference, but really, time is more than flying right now.

We have a lovely weekend planned, with my niece’s 21st birthday ceilidh tomorrow night, which should not only be lots of fun but is also an opportunity for all the family to get together, so we’re really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, here are some things which have made me happy this week:

1. I’m loving the beautiful, sunny, warm spring weather! I was so ready for it and now it’s here, I really don’t want it to end. It makes the days seem longer, and seems to improve everyone’s mood  no end.

2. Our trip to Norfolk which was so lovely, as described in my last post – full of family fun, long walks, delicious food (the best cheese from Creake Abbey Food Hall, as always!) and, above all, relaxation.

3. I’ve mentioned this before but I want to include it again – the blossoming and coming alive of our lovely garden. It has been more apparent than ever this week with being away for six days – it was such a lovely surprise to see all the colour which had appeared during our absence. Unfortunately the grass had also grown a huge amount, so that’s another job for the weekend!

4. A lovely afternoon shopping with G. We went to our favourite shopping centre, Intu in Derby, and made some very satisfying purchases, particularly clothes and some cards and presents for the four birthdays we have within the next ten days!

5. The house is very quiet right now, as B has departed for his school trip to Italy. I’m not at all jealous of the amazing places he’s visiting – Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, etc. ! Oh yes, I am!! It sounds amazing and is a fantastic experience for him, but it is strange without him being here.

6. As well as the flowers which are blooming in the garden (and what about the magnificent magnolia trees which have suddenly blossomed everywhere? – just beautiful), I am so happy that my herb garden has survived the winter and sprung back into life with a vengeance. The parsley, sage, coriander and mint are looking great – I really need to add some basil now, as I love it!

7. After our excesses in Norfolk, it has been good to get back to juicing over the last couple of days. I love to start the day with a fresh juice – my favourite at the moment is pineapple, apple, lime, cucumber and courgette. So tasty and feels so good for you at the same time.

8. It was a year to the day yesterday that we viewed our house and had our offer accepted. We are so pleased with the changes we have made to it since moving in last June. The dining room has been painted this week – brilliant white – which doesn’t sound very interesting, but we love it -it’s so much cleaner and brighter. We just need to sort out the tiles for the floor now.

9.Sleepy dogs! They have been completely exhausted at times this week, after some pretty long walks (especially for Honey’s little legs!), which makes them so cute and cuddly.

10. The final thing for this week is the book that I’m currently reading, which is Jojo Moyes’ “The One Plus One”. I’m just short of halfway through it and loving it!

1. The champagne breakfast I had with my lovely friend, Hettie, last Saturday. Not only was it a delicious meal but we had a great catch up  – and I think that it really affirmed to us both what a great friendship we have. And we even turned up wearing the same boots!

2. My Saturday night out with D (guess it should be called “date night” but where did that come from? It suddenly seems a very over-used term!) at The Lancashire Hotpots gig – a night full of singing, dancing, jumping around and getting very hot. Just the best!

3. Going to the gym with G and B. Since D took them for their induction last week, I have taken them twice this week with them being on their school holiday. It’s such a great thing to do together – we all get a good workout (especially on our second trip when we had the headphone situation sorted!) and it really feels like a very grown up thing to be doing together.

4. Playing board games with G and B. This is something that B in particular likes to do (as do I) so when we had some time earlier in the week when it was just the two of us, we had a good games afternoon, playing Trivial Pursuit and Top Trumps Tournament. G then joined us one afternoon, setting up a very lovely, comfortable playing area with blankets, throws and cushions so that we could play the logo game together. Just LOVE times like that with them.

5. The Easter holidays! I do love it when G and B are off school, as it seems like such a treat to stay in bed a little longer, actually spend quality time with them instead of them having to do homework or nagging them to do music practice, etc. and everything is so much more relaxed. It’s like the seasons, I guess – I love the changing seasons, so I’m always ready for the next one towards the end of the current one, and I like to go back to the routine of school and work again when the holidays are over, but in the meantime, it’s just lovely!

6. Talking of seasons, the signs of spring which were in abundance on our long journey yesterday. It was so uplifting to see huge swathes of beautiful, bright daffodils on the grass verges and even more so when I spotted two lambs frisking and frolicking around a meadow. How could that not make you smile?

7. We only managed it once this week due to the crazy weather but another thing that made me happy, despite the fact that I have to be nagged to do it sometimes and I think I won’t enjoy it, was playing on the trampoline with G and B. We do have very strict rules about only one person on at a time to bounce, but for the game Dead Man, which doesn’t really involve bouncing at all, we do break that rule. It was only a shame that it began to rain (again!) so our session wasn’t too long – but it was great fun while it lasted!

8. Singing in the car! Now, I am really not the best singer (slight understatement there!) and I wouldn’t inflict my lack of vocal ability on anyone apart from D, G and B, but we are having some great singing in the car sessions at the moment! They usually happen on the way to and from piano lessons, so D misses out on them, but it does really make me smile when we are all singing along together, usually to songs from Spotify. Current favourites are American Authors’ “The Best Day of my Life” and, of course, the Lancashire Hotpots. Queen also featured in our repertoire this week – love how diverse G and B’s musical knowledge is becoming.

9. Norfolk!! We have had a house here in Norfolk (we are here for a few days over the Easter weekend), which we share with one of my sisters and her husband, for almost six years and it really is the best retreat. The north Norfolk coast is one of our favourite places in the world and it is truly stunning. The beaches are vast – our favourites are Brancaster and Holkham, where there are huge expanses of flat, clean sand, and Wells-next-the-Sea, which is often busier but has the added attraction of the topsy-turvy row of almost 100 brightly-painted beach huts. But we love everything about the area – the beautiful countryside and pretty flint cottages in the villages, the friendliness of the people, the myriad of great places to eat out, the much slower pace of life…I could go on and on proselytizing, I love this place so much, but suffice to say that I am VERY happy to be here for a few days and we are all looking forward to introducing Honey to walks on the beach.

10. Quite a banal one in a way, but grocery deliveries really can be great! I usually do all our food shopping myself first thing on a Friday morning, but when we are staying in Norfolk for a few days, I do order a grocery delivery for the night that we arrive. There is just no way that I could fit the food that we need in the car with the four of us, three dogs and all our clothes, coats, walking boots, books and games, etc. so I only fetch the fresh things we have left over at home and something for our evening meal when we arrive, then a friendly delivery person fetches all the rest for us later. I was getting a little worried last night when our delivery was 15 minutes late, but was very sympathetic (and grateful!) when the poor delivery man tentatively knocked on the door at 10.15pm to check he had the right cottage, after driving up and down our road, which is absolutely pitch black at night, trying to locate us!

So happy weekend, Happy Easter and happy chocolate-eating!!

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!

And so it begins.

I’ve been intending to keep a gratitude journal for so long and have never quite got round to it, so I decided that this would be a great place to do so, by celebrating ten things which have made me happy during the week on Happy Fridays. I do believe that being more mindful about the little things which bring you joy and happiness can really improve your outlook on life, and documenting them can only help that (I hope!). So here goes:

1. A family trip to G’s school show last night. She wasn’t in it, but the school always put on such fantastic performances and it’s amazing to see the amount of talent in such a relatively small school. And I always love a good musical!
2. A little project I undertook this week to transform a smallish tea tray into one that now has pride of place on the coffee table, to keep everything neat and tidy. It was pretty simple but I’m really pleased with the transformation.
3. Wearing our family ring. One of my sisters mentioned this to me this week – my Mum and all four of us daughters have the same ring, but I don’t wear mine too often, as it’s gold and I wear more silver jewellery, but I have really loved wearing it again this week. Happy memories of a fantastic mum, who passed away 9 years ago.
4. Lighter evenings! I’m loving it still being light at 6.30pm. I’m always ready for the new season when it comes around – and spring starts tomorrow, right?
5. Gardening- I spent a couple of hours this morning out in the garden, tidying up and turning over the soil, in the warm sunshine. I love how this has two benefits – it makes the garden look much better and is a pretty god work out!
6. Progress on the house. We modernised a lot of the downstairs of the house before Christmas and have decorated the children’s bedrooms, but we have had our bedroom and the dining room re-plastered this week, which means they can shortly be decorated.
7. Maths Challenge! Not my performance in it, but G was part of a small team representing her school this week at a Maths Challenge competition and they did so well, coming 7^th out of about 35 teams. Very proud moment.
8. A new nail varnish I bought earlier in the week. It’s not quite the shade I wanted but I still love it.
9. Mother’s Day – of course! I had a lovely day – beautiful cards from the children, a lovely breakfast in bed made by G (cinnamon swirl pancakes and bacon – amazing!), very thoughtful homemade gifts and a surprise lunch out at one of my favourite places, The Pear Tree Creperie. They gave all mums there that day a primula plant to take home which was a lovely touch.
10. Organisation! I do love a good, achievable “to do” list and this week’s went well, despite being much longer than usual, with various documents, payments and currencies being needed for upcoming school trips. So satisfying to tick things off!

Have a great weekend, everyone!