I cannot move.....

I have eaten and drank much too much since Friday night and I have yet to stop!! Hee Hee! The reason.....

Yes...it finally crept up on me and I celebrated my 40th birthday yesterday. Actually the celebrations began on Friday night when Peter and the kids whisked me away for a surprise weekend to the North Coast.


Portrush is a typical wee seaside town that is rather dreary looking in the winter with only the sounds of tacky arcades rattling in the background, BUT, I love it! I lived in it for nearly three years as a student and have always had a real affection for the place. The scenery is breathtaking as you can look around the Antrim coastline along the headlands in the direction of the Giants Causeway. Over the course of the weekend we went on many cold, but invigorating walks. The kids particularly liked walking around Ramore head and watching the sea pound into the Devil's Washtub...not a place I would like to fall into!

The rest of the weekend was spent eating, relaxing, eating, reading, eating, knitting, eating, eating...I'm sure you've got the picture!! LOL!!

On Sunday morning the children woke me up and presented me with some gorgeous cards (Amy made her own and I am going to pinch the idea!!) and some pressies. They gave me two dresses (which they picked for me on Saturday) and a bottle of my very favourite perfume. My brother and family had given me my present a few days before and I had kept it to unwrap on Sunday. It was a beautiful bracelet and charm. Mummy and mummy-in-law gave me money so I can feel a little spree coming on!

Once we got home on Sunday evening we relaxed and watched a DVD with the kids and my neighbour called to see me with a lovely pair of earrings. Another bottle of wine was shared!!

The party continued this morning when my coffee and craft friends appeared bearing lots and lots and lots of food and champagne for a Birthday Brunch. I received lovely gifts and we had a great morning chittering. Needless to say, someone else did the school runs today!!☺

Tomorrow should finish the celebrating when I meet my two uni friends for coffee and chat. One celebrated her 40th two weeks ago and the other celebrates in April so we are all in the same boat!



Wednesday......SLIMMING WORLD!!!!! AGAIN!!!!

A Cosy Morning

Hasn't today been a lovely, pleasant day? Although it is cold, the sun is shining and there is a faint feel of Spring in the air ♥ . I started the day well with my "date" with Davina and I had few errands completed by 9:45. Then it was home again to loveliness...

It started with my breakfast in my favourite bowl (a little treat in the sales!). It is aptly named, the Goldilocks bowl, as my favourite start to a day is porridge.

This has to be consumed with a LARGE mug of coffee and some appropriate reading material!!


Then it was on to some crochet. This is what I am attempting to make....

The colours are gorgeous but a little too bright for me. I like more subdued tones...


I am loving how they are coming together. The little piles of squares are adding up. The colours and yarn have been Ravelled here.

A little baking was done to feed hungry children coming in from school. Banana muffins were the order of the day as I had a few bananas to use up quickly. Yum Yum!

Now the kids are home, homework is being done and I have dinner on. Lovely roasting smells wafting through my kitchen. I will leave you with a picture of the socks I FINALLY completed at the weekend. I am quite pleased with them. Much better than my first pair...at least both feet are the same size this time!! Hee Hee!

They almost look blue here but they are green. This shows the colours much better..

♥♥♥Have a lovely week my bloggy friends ♥♥♥

Love is....

As much as I love my very darling hubby I wish he had kept this little gem to himself!! LOL!! Sniffing and sneezing, that's me!!

Will continue the slow theme of pottering and hibernating this week. A little sorting, some crafting (may get my socks finished) and plenty of tea!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

On a go slow....

Does it ever feel like this for you too? Lack of sleep due to the storms that wrapped themselves around the house last night again meant that that there was very little sleep! That along with the heavy breather (he has a stinking cold!) lying beside me!! Today I am finding it VERY difficult to get into gear. I am pottering and getting a little bit done around the house, a little tidying and organising and putting things into bags for a charity shop run and the washing machine is on BUT my to-do was a little bit longer than this and it may just not get done.

Aw well...tomorrow's another day!

Can it last?!

The kids are enjoying the last day off and I am starting to think again of routine and what I will do when they are back in school.

We went out for an hour this afternoon and I visited the library. I am a book addict and with one of my resolutions being to be more frugal, a big area I need to work on is my spending on books. I do use the library from time to time but I get frustrated when they don't have the books or type of books I like. It is easier to buy fairly cheaply online BUT...today I took my first step in thriftiness!!! (How long can this last I hear you cry?!!!!) Here is what I got (no fiction which is unusual!).....

Will this, can this happen?!

My aim to buy very few, if any new clothes


I can dream!

Just because it looked good!

I have spent a little quiet time since I got back having a coffee and a little browse and frankly becoming just a tad excited by it all. Should be an interesting year!

Before I go I must show you the "little" pressie that my very sneaky (I like it!!) husband and his mum got me for Christmas. I love the retro digital radios but wanted a practical one as well. I have talked about them for a while but certainly didn't think one would appear...certainly not at Christmas anyway as there is a rather large birthday looming at the end of the month!

♥I LOVE IT!♥ It has the look but I can also dock my iPhone on it to charge and play my music from my iPod! Not having to wrestle an aerial to find a station is bliss! Radio 4 has never sounded better!

Off now to make a cup of tea for my very bedraggled and wet husband who has just walked in from work...

Happy New Year!

Christmas is over (Sob!) and I am starting to think of getting the house back into some sort of order. We had a truly lovely Christmas. The kids were very excited as usual and have had a fabulous time playing with all their gifts. We spent the days around Christmas at home and then spent a few days with my mum and dad, returning home today. Tomorrow will be spent sorting the decorations and storing them safely for next year. At least the kids still have another two days of holiday left...I do dislike them returning to school!!!

Resolutions have been made. I want to decorate some rooms this year so more frugality is needed in other areas! More frugal living then is my main resolution. This also applies to my crafting...more of it to be done but USING MY STASH and NOT buying as much new stuff!!
My final resolution is to maintain my weight now that it's at the right place (have to shift a few Christmas pounds first though! LOL!). Exercise and sensible eating here I come!

May I wish all my lovely bloggy friends a healthy, peaceful and loving 2012!

Alternative 12 Days of Christmas

Frank Kelly, a.k.a. Father Jack in the Father Ted series created this. It will give you a giggle for Christmas!