Monday 28 December 2015

A Cornish Christmas


Can't believe Christmas has been and gone! 
The kids cooked up a storm before the big day, as we were heading down to Cornwall to stay with my Mum and Dad for Christmas, so took plenty of treats with us.


I managed (just) to squeeze everything into the back of the car!


Christmas Eve tea with my lot, Granny, Mum and Dad and my Sister and her family


Although they're growing up way too fast for my liking, 
you can't help but feel excited on Christmas Eve


And he's been!
Lots of lovely presents to unwrap!


7.30am alarm call - not too bad for Christmas Day!


I felt fab in my sparkles - so much healthier than past Christmas's for us both x


I got lots of lovely gifts, many for when the kitchen gets finished. 
Sophie and Sam bought me the Deliciously Ella book, I've been wanting it for a while now. I shall look forward to having a play, once my new kitchen is ready 


Boxing Day morning Jeff and I headed over to Portreath to watch the crazy people do the Boxing Day swim! Jeff has done it the past two times we've been down but didn't brave it this year. It was incredibly windy and the tide was so low (excuses, I know!)


So we had a lovely Cornish Christmas - thanks to Mum and Dad. 
We celebrated with Jeff's family yesterday afternoon and today Sophie and I have been over at the unit packing Sale orders, ready to be posted out tomorrow. 

So that's Christmas over for another year but looking forward to decorating this house next year and christening it with a Peabody Christmas x

Week 8 - build update!


Only half a week to report on due to the Christmas break but we have a roof on....


....and are in the dry!

Plumbers and electricians arrive in the new year!

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Tuesday 22 December 2015

My Slimming World Year


A look back through my Slimming World Year 

It's been quite a year for me, changed my life.
 A year I won't forget and I'm determined to stay in Target (forever)



Sunday 20 December 2015

There's a little bit of Christmas in the air....


After saying 'we're not doing Christmas this year' a few things have been added to the mix.


I couldn't resist this cushion in the Sainsburys sale.

 

Once you start wrapping you can't help but make the place look festive x



I've been out for my Slimming World Christmas do! and felt a million dollars - so different from Christmases past! 


We had a great night - delicious food, great company. 
I even danced SOBER!!


I enter the festive season still in my target range of between 8st7lbs and 8st13lbs. I shall enjoy myself  over the Christmas period but am determined to still be in target at next weigh in.


Somebody who is changing by the week it seems, is Sam - he won't stop growing!! The pic on the left was taken in February, the one on the right this week! He is now 5ft 5.5inches, Jeff is 5ft 11 so he hasn't got too much further to go, I want him to stop, just for a bit, he's growing up far too fast, they both are! But they're both glad school is over for the holidays - Sam will no doubt spend the 2 weeks chained to his computer, Sophie? well she's busy wrapping pressies at the mo, Christmas tunes on full. Has some Christmas baking planned and we're both looking forward to next year and having a lovely kitchen to do it in.

Hope your Christmas prep is all going to plan - not long now until the big Ho Ho Ho!!





Week 7 - build update


Another huge amount of progress this week!

The roof steel has gone up......


......and the roof joists are in place.


Next week the plan is to felt and batten the roof and get it 'in the dry' for Christmas.


Today has been the first day we've had a chance to have a good feel for the space with the builders not here and it dry for once. The kitchen space is as big as I had planned/imagined it to be. It's going to be a fantastic space and we're having to go for underfloor heating due to there not being enough usable wall space for radiators but it will hopefully work out for the best


And the bedroom is more than we could have hoped for. Our initial intention was to try and make the best use of the space above the kitchen but the architect has planned in a very high pitch ceiling, which has given us much more space than we could have hoped for. Reckon we will get a good 3m run of wardrobe space. We've opted in for a dormer window as the view out across to Glastonbury Tor is too good to lose, so a fabulous space that we didn't really think we'd get!

Only half a week this side of Christmas to record, then the Christmas break and then back in January with the arrival of the electricians and plumbers for the first fix! Couldn't be happier with the progress and workmanship - here's to the next stage x

Sunday 13 December 2015

She's so lovely xx


Jeff got us tickets to see Scouting for Girls for my birthday 
and last night we headed to Cardiff for the main event.


It's an easy journey and Cardiff welcomed us with this.


We got there earlier enough to park, and go grab something to eat!


Then we headed to the Student Union, queueing amongst 20 somethings, feeling our age (not) I don't think we scrub up too badly, seeing as we're in our mid 40's now (eek!)


I must say it was worth the drive, worth the queues and worth feeling old for a bit because once they started playing I could have been 20 all over again. They were BRILLIANT - well worth going to see if you ever get the chance. I'm still humming, singing, arm punching!! all the tunes out today.


Week 6 - build update


So week 6 of the build and things are moving on apace.


The floor joists have gone in, the floor has gone down, the steel for the roof has arrived and the gable end is half built, ready for the roof to go up next week.


A redundant chimney is coming down on Monday and we should in a position for electricians and plumbers to do the first fix after the Christmas break.

Yay! so VERY excited at how things are coming along. 

Monday 7 December 2015

First Christmas at Number 79!


So with the move, the build, the dust, most of our possessions in storage and not hosting the main event this year, I was tempted to not 'do' Christmas this year at all but..... 


.... I can't help myself buying the odd thing.
Christmas is creeping in!


I've brought back the tiny tree from storage and


treated myself to this gorgeous star garland.


Sainsbury's has come up trumps this year - I bought my jumper, this mug, the candle and hyacinth bulbs (above pic) and my spotty tissue and tags (pic below) all from there this year.


I've started to wrap a few gifts when I get a few spare minutes.


Even my food is festive themed - this silicone mould was just a £1 from Lidl's


We won't be 'doing' Christmas like last year but I can't wait for next, when we will 'do' Christmas in style, in my new kitchen xxxxx

Friday 4 December 2015

Week 5 - build update


We're 5 weeks into the build now and it's going up a pace. 
It's so exciting to go off in a morning and come back at lunch time to see progress, then again at the end of the school day see another big change. 


I got to go up the scaffolding and had a birds eye view down on the space. It's going to be a lovely big, generous kitchen - my absolute dream.


I've been kitchen planning too - trying to marry together cohesively all the ideas that have been floating around in my head all these years. It will of course have elements of our previous kitchen/house as a lot of the free standing furniture will be going in there but it will, I hope, have a different overall feel. It will be 4 times the size for starters but it will be combining the dining room space of the old house too.


So on Monday the Chippies arrive and the floor joists go in
 and then the roof is going on - eek!


Because of the build, we have decided not to do Christmas proper. We really don't have the space, everything is in storage and with all the dust and mess, it really doesn't feel that festive. I've brought back a mini tree and I'll wear my Christmas jumper (to keep warm!!) and drink from my new festive mug (from Sainsburys) We're not hosting Christmas this year so I'll just have to save up my festive flair until next year and decorate in style.

Have a great weekend!
I have orders to prep and send out, pressies to wrap and a kitchen to finalise - all too exciting by far x

Saturday 28 November 2015

Week 4 - update


This week has seen the biggest visual change to the build - we have walls!


And a kitchen window (sort of!!)
I'm beginning to visualise the space and how it will all come together.


I popped into my favourite shop on the way back from Bath the other day and bought these lovely old painted drawers for the new bedroom or maybe the kitchen or maybe the studio - not sure yet! I will have to see how everything evolves once I see the space - exciting times ahead x

dots and spots is super busy at the moment and whilst trying to do some Christmas prep and house stuff, the days are just whizzing by far too quickly although I must confess, I'm wishing the build on so I can get started with all the decorating and nice bits.

Have a great weekend x 

Sunday 22 November 2015

Week 3 of the build


Yesterday I went to Bath - belated Birthday Celebrations for Sophie with her friends. I dropped them off and had a lovely day by myself - started a little Christmas shopping, met my sister for lunch, then back home once it all got stupidly busy.


Her friends all came back for a sleepover and a traditional 'party tea'. 
I'm about to taxi them all home once they get themselves organised!


The last of the naughty treats now until Christmas - I have a month to get back into the Slimming World zone and lose a few pounds before the festivities really begin.


The build is moving on fabulously and 3 weeks in, we're a quarter of the way through the budget and the foundations are done.


The builders have worked hard and we are now ready for the brickies to arrive this week - apparently the shell will be up by Christmas, which will be fabulous.

Fingers crossed the weather stays on our side x