wonderful wednesday #11

Hello, I hope you are having a good week. Thank you for popping by for another round of Wonderful Wednesday-ness.  There are lots of happy little moments to reflect on this week, and yet again, I am frantically typing this during nap time, so I will crack straight on!

Join the Club: After doing the muddy 5k with me recently, my mum's neighbour's daughter, who also happens to be a good friend that I have grown up with over the years, invited me to join a running club with her. It is a beginners' club, doing a couch to 5k programme, and we went along for our first session on Saturday morning, with another one due tonight. It was great to go and be part of a group, and nice to feel like we have gone from friends through our parents, to being friends who socialise together (or exercise together!) of our own accord. It was also good to feel like the starting weeks of the couch to 5k are actually quite comfortable now, and realise that I have progressed from my first forays into running all those years ago.

Watermelon: I bought watermelon fingers for T to try, and as with any food he eats, most of it ends up on the floor. Millie tends to do a good job of hoovering it up after meal times, but if there is ever a new food I always check to make sure it's dog friendly, especially something like watermelon that might have hidden pips in. I googled "dog watermelon" and got rather more than I expected, when the images appeared under the search bar. See here, you won't be disappointed. 

Camera Time: Slowly but surely I am catching back up with the year with my camera project, after falling quite far behind. Once I got over the shame of posting homework that was two months late, I've really enjoyed getting back into playing with pictures, and have been gradually getting a bit more efficient with my editing/uploading process to, which always helps.

30 Second Mess: I am that unfortunate mix of someone who likes tidiness and organisation, but who also finds it easy to make a mess just by walking into a room. Often I would call or msn (remember those days) The Husband when we were both at our different universities, bemoaning the chaos that was my bedroom, and he would always describe it as a 30 second mess. It was always much, much worse than that, but he took the approach of spend 30 seconds and one bit will be tidied up, and then another 30 seconds, and so on. It has always stuck with me, and last night after a busy few days, the house was feeling a bit cluttered and so after T went to sleep we did a dash around the house. He did the hoovering with his headphones on while I sorted the bins and the recycling (I shall resist the urge to make satirical comments about boy and girl jobs), we got the dishes done, the washing sorted, and did a quick tidy round. It was so good to wake up this morning to a cleaner house, and has started today off in a positive way.

Calligraphy: Having splashed out on lots of new stationery with my earnings from my sugar challenge I have been enjoying doodling with my calligraphy pens. I even got a calligraphy book from the library and have been having a play with some of the projects in that, mostly though I'm just relishing the fact that I can spend 10 minutes being creative without having to make a huge mess (see above!) and that I can dip in and out easily without it feeling like a huge endeavour. 

Celebrations: It has been my stepdad's birthday this week, so we have had a few gatherings to celebrate, and we have big family celebrations planned later this week for my auntie's birthday too. It is lovely to spend time with my family, and now we have T, it adds extra joy too. 

So that is all from me this week, but if you would like to read some of the other wonderful posts:

Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #10

It's time for another look at some loveliness from the past week, and it's been a great one.

Marvellous Millie: That gorgeous little hound turns 4 years old today. We have celebrated with sunbathing in the garden and a trip to the park for a meet up with my friends, their children, and most crucially their dog who is Millie's playmate of old. They had a happy reunion, and I'm sure there will be treats for tea later too. She's such a wonderful companion, and has coped so well with the turmoil of a baby brother in the house. All she ever wants is company and cuddles (food obviously goes without saying), and I do enjoy the fact that now T has a more predictable bed time, we can have a couple of hours curled up with her just like the good old days.

Sunshine: It has been glorious here, although that has made me realise that I urgently need to purchase some suncream in order to be a responsible parent. The weather makes such a difference though, I've been walking T everywhere, and it feels so good to get out and about.

Cooking: The book I chose for this month's Cookery Calendar Challenge is proving to be a real success, I've already made three recipes from it and am planning a few more before I have to return it to the library! Everything I've made has turned out really well, and it has felt really good to be in the kitchen and making some more unusual dishes.

Getting Muddy: I took part in a Race for Life Pretty Muddy event over the weekend. I signed up on a whim, and then completely forgot about it. I was chatting with my mum's neighbour about starting going running with her daughter, we have grown up together over the years, and our two families are incredibly close. I suddenly realised the race was this weekend, got in touch to see if she fancied joining me, and three days later we found ourselves scrambling through cargo nets, bouncing on space hoppers, sliding down inflatables, and crawling through mud, mud and more mud, in the glorious sunshine. It was brilliant fun, all the better for having company, and felt like a real achievement. My family all came along to cheer us round (and take some brilliant pictures), and we are already thinking about doing a 10k one in June. My legs have been aching, and I've bruises everywhere, but I still get a huge grin whenever I think about it.

Impromptu Visits: The Husband's best friend from uni got in touch out of the blue to see if we were around. He lives a long distance away but happened to be in the area this weekend, so once I had managed to de-mud myself, we went for Sunday dinner followed by milkshakes, then had good chats over coffee at home. It was lovely to see him, really good for him to spend time with T, and it was also one of those occasions where we realised how happy we are where we live. It was so nice to be able to walk two minutes and have lots of options for things to do, yet also to be able to retreat back to home after and sit in the peaceful sunshine. A lovely weekend all round.

I think that's plenty of wonderfulness for this Wednesday, I feel like I could go on and on, I haven't mentioned photography, or stationery, or free gifts from fabulous companies, but instead, go and read some of the other wonderful posts:

Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #8

I'm back with a wonderful Wednesday round up after a few weeks away, and trying to rattle this out while the baby naps so we shall see how far we get. I'm not sure why I've been absent from this space, there has been plenty of wonderful around these parts, and even though I haven't been writing about it, I do think having done just a few of these posts has already made me better at spotting the good stuff as it happens!

Early Mornings: Yes. I, the lifelong night owl have gone over to the dark side (should that be light side), and rather than fight the baby-inflicted early starts, have learnt to relish them. Sunday found us wandering through the park with the dog and the baby at half eight in the morning, admittedly when I suggested getting out and going for a walk, The Husband's first response was "do you mean [insert incredulous tone] before breakfast?", but even he agreed after we got back, and breakfast was being consumed, that it had been a good idea. Admittedly, early starts are all the easier after some sleep, which brings me nicely to....

Sleep: Not exactly sure how it happened, or how long it will last, so while I can I'm celebrating the fact that at the moment T seems to be enjoying sleeping overnight. It has made such a difference, from really struggling a few months ago with lack of sleep, and him not really eating, we now have a baby who eats anything and sleeps well. I know all of these things are likely temporary, and I know how hard it feels when those things aren't happening, so I'm not bragging, just celebrating my own little victories when they come around!

Television: We've never really been into tv in a big way, with the exception of Bake Off in my case, but we seem to have found a few programmes at the moment that we really enjoy. Line of Duty, which is usually in the realm of the too dark and grim for my liking, has got me hooked this season, after half listening while The Husband watched the last series. We've also been enjoying Masterchef, but my goodness, how much of a time commitment is that programme?? Just when I've caught up there's another three episodes waiting to be watched.

Sunshine: So it's still absolutely freezing, as I discovered at dog class with Millie on Monday, when my hands actually wouldn't move when I came to drive home, and there are still occasional downpours, which I experienced on the walk to the library on Monday, managing to get rained on and then dried off in the same half a mile walk (Monday was not a great weather day it seems!). But, despite all of that, more often than not I'm waking up to bright blue skies, and sunshine, and that just makes life cheerier. It makes it more tempting to leave the house, and it's generally good for the soul.

Work: Well, not actual doing of work, but getting in touch with my supevisors, and starting to make small steps to having plans for my return. Happily it is a long way off still, but it felt good to make contact, and being reassured that I hadn't been completely forgotten. I also took T to my old workplace on Friday, (I will be starting a different placement when I return) and it was lovely to see my boss there who I get on brilliantly with, and for her to get cuddles with T.

So, I'm quitting while I'm ahead as there are definitely sounds of a baby starting to stir, if you want even more wonderfulness,  then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too:

 Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #7

Just a quick one, as I have spent rather longer than intended on this month's first things first post, and I'll regret it if I don't get to sleep very soon!! There has been so much wonderful happening in February that I haven't actually done one of these posts for a few weeks. For a longer round up of some of the big things that have been going on, see here, but for today, some small bits of wonderful....

Afternoon Tea: We bought my Grandad an afternoon tea and chocolate making demonstration at a lovely bakery nearby. I happily accompanied him today, and it was a wonderful few hours. The talk and demonstration was really interesting, and the afternoon tea was delicious. T had a wonderful time with his grandparents too, and so a happy afternoon was had by all, except perhaps for The Husband, who was at work.

New Bedding: After the middle of the night bedding changes last week, I splashed out on a spare, spare, set of bedding, as it seems at the moment that two sets is simply not enough! It has been so lovely to clamber into not just freshly washed sheets, but fresh out of the packet sheets.

5 miles: Having not kept on track with my 28 miles in 28 days, I suddenly had 8 miles to run in 2 days before February finished. The upshot was that on Tuesday evening I headed out in torrential rain to do five wet, cold miles, and managed to keep a reasonable pace, and actually smiled most of the way round. I quite enjoyed running in the rain, and it was one of those runs where the music seemed to be exactly right, with each track spurring me on to keep going for just one more song, to the point that I did a lot less walking and a lot more running than I first anticipated.

Surprise visits: I was messaging my close friend in the midst of a tough week, and when she didn't reply to a message I was wondering if I'd overdone the offloading, only for her to appear at the door in the middle of a busy day just to say hi, give me a hug, and chat in person for ten minutes. It was such a lovely surprise, not even long enough for a cuppa, but made me feel very lucky to have such an amazing friend, and much better about my week.

Pancakes: Of course. Specifically, my grandad's pancakes, which we enjoyed yesterday afternoon, are, in my opinion, unbeatable, and I'm convinced fuelled me to do that run. Followed closely by The Husband's savoury pancake, which was waiting for me when I got back from the run. Along with a few more sweet ones for dessert for good measure!

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #6

In true Sesame Street style, this week's Wonderful Wednesday is brought you by the letter C.

Coriander: I made a recipe at the weekend that needed coriander, and my parents picked me up a bunch while out shopping. I love coriander and have happily incorporated it into lots of different recipes, including fajitas, chicken and coconut curry, and has also been livening up my lunches. It always makes me feel a little bit fancy having fresh herbs, although I tend to be a little overliberal with my sprinkling, as the picture above attests.

Cuddles: This morning I woke up with a headache, and so, I chose to stay in my pyjamas, and when the baby took a nap I actually followed the sleep when the baby sleeps advice. It was a lovely snooze on the sofa, snuggled under a blanket, with the dog snoring gently by my side, and I woke up feeling all the better for it. The novelty of cuddling a sleeping baby has still not worn off, and I love the evenings where he drifts off in my arms after his bath, all damp hair and smiles in his sleep.

Cake: Obviously, cake is always good, but this week my mum and I baked, and it was the first time I had baked in a while. It was a successful, and simple, orange drizzle cake, and it was lovely to spend an hour baking together, and also having cake to eat at the end of it! 

Comments: Thank you to all of you for lovely comments on my recent posts. I will reply soon, but it is always encouraging to feel like your words are being read. I sometimes worry that perhaps this blog is too superficial and borders on the saccharine at times, so despite venturing briefly into the more serious realm this week, many of your comments served as a reminder that I can make what I want of this little space and it isn't a reflection of a lack of interest in the wider world if I choose to focus on the positive here. 

Classes: I went to a session on weaning run locally, and my mum came along too. It was quite helpful, if only to reassure me that I've been doing the right things so far, and it is exciting to think in a week or so we can start introducing the baby to food. I always sit him in the kitchen when I'm cooking, and generally have to sing and talk my way through every ingredient to stop him getting restless, so I'm looking forward to him being able to have a taste too. He is also at the point now where he seems to be interacting more when I take him to things. He starts bouncing very excitedly when we go the singing and reading session at the library (though I am certain his overenthusiastic rattle waving is going to cause another child an injury). Friday was also the first time I have taken him swimming where he did more than just let me move him around, having discovered the joy of splashing, I spent most of the session wiping water out of my eyes, and having my first experience of show-off parenting as I kept trying to strategically swim nearer to the instructor so that she would notice, and compliment, his first attempts at kicking (it didn't work).

Camera: I know this is becoming a bit of a frequent mention, but I really enjoyed taking part in #1day12pics again on Saturday, and I have also started to take my camera with me just a little more regularly. My parents and I took the dog and the baby to the park yesterday, and we also went out for lunch with my Grandad today, and both times I picked up the camera on the way out, with some encouragement from my mum. I didn't take lots of pictures, but I'm glad I'm starting to carry it with me without feeling pretentious, and that I'm enjoying playing with it and trying to remember what I've learnt.

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #5

Another week, another round of wonderful things. Unbelievably we are already in February, and even more unbelievably I have managed to make it 5 in a row.

Camera Bravery: Another week of A Year With My Camera, and another week where I braved the park. This time with The Husband, dog and baby, and I actually sat on the bench and played with the different settings for a good half an hour while he walked them around. This week was about shutter speed, and I got some action shots that I was quite pleased with! It is lovely to think I am starting to have just the slightest idea about what the myriad of buttons, letters, numbers and options mean.

Good Timing: We had to take our pram to have a screw replaced, and the nearest Mamas and Papas store to us is a bit of a jaunt to the huge shopping complex that is the Trafford Centre. The service was excellent and they had to send it away, providing us with a loan of the same style pram in the interim. On Friday I had a message to say it was ready for collection, and on our way to the store we walked through Selfridges, for a quick gaze at the food hall. Just as we walking past they were reducing lots and lots of the desserts, and resisting the urge to buy them all, we came away with a toblerone cheesecake, a rocky road cheesecake, and a brownie for 80p each. By the time we walked back through after collecting the pram, they had all gone, so we were rather pleased with our little haul, and enjoyed our decadent desserts when we got home that night.

Socialising: I wrote on Friday about what a sociable week we had, and it had continued since, with visits to my mum and stepdad, The Husband's family, my grandad's, and my dad and stepmum's. I have also heard from a few good friends, and it was nice to catch up even if it was via text.

Bloggers: It is a tumultuous time politically at the moment, and my general approach on this blog is to veer away from bigger issues. I often feel like I don't have the right words, or even enough understanding to explore those topics publicly, which may be doing myself a disservice, but I lack the confidence to enter into online debates, despite having deep discussions with The Husband over dinner. I do, though, as I have said previously, find hope in realising that there are others out there feeling the same, and galvanising readers into action. It is always wonderful to know you are not alone in your thoughts, particularly when the world seems increasingly divisive. 

Calming candles: On a slightly more mundane note, I have started to actually use the vast array of candles I have, lighting a Neom relaxation one before bed, whilst also liberally spritzing the scent too (I almost set off The Husband's asthma with my slightly overenthusiastic efforts though, so I have reigned it in a little). I had the first bath I have had in months (I do shower, just to be clear), and I got back from a run to find The Husband had lit candles for me. I don't usually see the appeal of baths, but it was a lovely way to wind down.

Falling numbers: I am now less than half a stone off my pre-baby weight. I realise in the grand scheme of things that this is fairly superficial, and I also realise the secret to contentment does not lie in the scales (you know, that famous saying), but I am keen to be a healthy weight, and to set the right example as a parent in terms of exercise and food choices. I hope by the time my maternity leave is over to be much healthier and fitter, and seeing the beginnings of that both in the number on the scale, and the pace on my runs, is a wonderful thing indeed.

wonderful wednesday #4

Another round up of some of the wonderful things going on this week.

Understanding Aperture: Although slightly bizarre, the picture above definitely makes my wonderful list this week. I signed up for Emma's A Year With My Camera project last year, and though I read the emails for the first few weeks I didn't actually pick up my camera and get started. This year I've managed to stick with it, and the above is my attempts at playing with the aperture settings on my camera. Not only am I chuffed that I managed to get the basic effect I was looking for (blurred vs focussed background), I was particularly proud of myself for taking my proper camera to the park, with the baby and the beagle, and actually being brave enough to lift it out in public and take pictures, even with other people around!

Catching Up: I've had quite a sociable week for a woman on maternity leave who knows exactly no other parents on maternity leave! Some friends from work popped by, and it was great to catch up and introduce them to the baby. Today I visited a good friend at 10am, and what started as a cuppa turned into multiple cuppas, and then lunch, and generally a good time. Made even better by getting home and finding flowers, eclairs, pies and pork chops (a random assortment I grant you) left in the kitchen by my Grandad. 

Shepherd's Pie: Firstly, the grammar fiend in me is deliberating whether it is the pie of one shepherd, or many shepherds, but I settled on one hungry one! We had another happy Sunday night where Grandad joined us for Sunday dinner, and another comfort dish, The Husband's choice this time, of shepherd's pie followed by rice pudding. 

Daffodils: The Husband brought me flowers last week, and as well as roses, he also picked up our first bunches of daffodils of the year. They have been a little source of joy all week long, and a lovely hint that spring is on its way soon.

Giggles: Now well and truly over his cough, the baby is back to his lovely, happy self, and has been giggling merrily all week. Current favourites include me saying oh-oh, oh-no, or just opening my mouth very wide and saying ahhhh. Sometimes just opening my mouth wide and not saying a thing. He also likes me pretending to eat his fingers, and loves it even more if I then proclaim that they are delicious. He is in raptures at round and round the garden, and can barely contain himself when he knows the tickles are coming. He still thinks being lifted high up over my head is hilarious. More than once this week I have found myself laughing uproariously, at him laughing uproariously, at me saying oh-oh. It is a wonderful confidence boost spending so much time with someone who thinks you are the funniest person on the planet!

Snoring: Last night I sat on the sofa with the baby fast asleep in my arms, snoring, and the dog stretched out at my side snoring. I needed to put subtitles on the television, and I'm relieved The Husband didn't join in and complete the hat-trick, but it was a pretty lovely sound nonetheless.

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle. 

wonderful wednesday #3

There have been all sorts of wonderful things this week so let's get straight on with them.

Happy Holidays: We had a lovely few days away, which was a fabulous Christmas present from my parents. It was our first stay in a hotel with a baby, and it went better than we could have hoped. I am grateful for the kind, welcoming staff, all of whom went out of their way to make life easier, from giving us a large room so that the pram, toys, and various accoutrements of a small baby didn't take up every corner, to seating us in a quiet corner of the restaurant which meant we had two evenings where we managed to have a three course meal while he dozed quietly beside us. A member of staff at breakfast brought over my plate, and asked if she could cuddle the baby, and sat with us, held him and chatted while we both ate. We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and it was lovely to have an extra few days altogether.

Feeling Better: After a few days where it felt like the household had been condemned with the lurgy, things are gradually looking up. The baby (I really need to decide what I'm going to call him on the blog) can now sleep without waking himself up with coughing, and I can move around without leaving a trail of used tissues in my wake. Life suddenly feels much more manageable now that the germs are retreating.

Spa Time: While we were away we used the leisure facilities, which meant lots of family swimming. Having The Husband with me was a revelation, he took the baby in the changing rooms with him, and having two adults in the pool with him meant I actually got to swim a few laps and nip in the steam room, and the sauna, and get changed without signing nursery rhymes the whole time. I love taking the baby swimming, but taking the baby swimming with The Husband was an added bonus! It was also lovely for The Husband to get the chance to go swimming with him for the first time, even if he did manage to get far more giggles than I ever have! I also booked in for a massage, and it was one of the best treatments I have had in a very long time, the therapist was brilliant, and I sat in a dressing gown afterwards, sipping a hot chocolate and feeling very relaxed indeed, it's amazing what a difference an hour can make.

Family Gatherings: We had a family christening at the weekend, and it was lovely to see relatives we hadn't seen in a while. Today was the 10 year anniversary of when my Gran passed away, and we try to mark the day in a positive way by getting together as a family. We went out for lunch, everyone got baby cuddles and it was a lovely way to commemorate an incredibly special person.

Good Books: I finished the brilliant book by Hollie McNish that I can't stop raving about to everyone and immediately handed it to The Husband. I then did that irritating thing of peering over his shoulder as he was trying to read it, desperate to keep track of where he was up to so I could finally have someone to discuss it with. Luckily the next book I started, Bill Bryson's latest, is also brilliant, so it distracted me away from peering over his shoulder, and instead I did the equally irritating thing of chortling loudly every couple of minutes and insisting on reading out whole pages while The Husband was trying to read. I'm looking back and wondering if this week was slightly more wonderful for me than him!

It is wonderful to have had such good family times this week, and also wonderful for us all to be feeling well again. I hope you all have great weeks ahead.

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle.

wonderful wednesday #2

So I've made it 2/2 so far and am taking a few minutes to round up some more wonderfulness (is that a word?). We've got a baby with a bad cough at the moment so sleep is a little elusive.  It's the first time he's been poorly and I'm having a little bit of heartbreak seeing him sad, so this burst of positivity is much needed!

Maternity leave: I'm really appreciative of the fact that I can be at home cuddling him and trying my best to make him feel better. We spent yesterday snuggled up on the sofa with lots of naps, though there's no doubts a rule to say he shouldn't be napping all day (I'm discovering parenting has lots of rules, particularly when it comes to sleep). As it is, I know if I was poorly I'd want to spend the day napping on the sofa so I'm enjoying the chance to curl up with him and hold him close. Today he seems a lot a brighter so I'm hoping the extra rest did him some good. I never underestimate how lucky I am to have the time to be home with him at the moment. Soon enough I'll be back to work, so these precious days, and the chance to help him feel better, are very special indeed. 

Organisation: I lived up to the promise of last week, and thanks to the energy and perseverance of The Husband we made the most of the weekend and sorted cupboards, drawers and wardrobes like a couple possessed. It was so good to get my wardrobe reorganised, it had become a mishmash of clothes, some from before I got pregnant, some of those "I'll buy this for when I'm a size smaller" clothes, some maternity clothes, some postpregnancy purchases and a myriad of other things, but I was cycling through about five things at one end of the rail. I got ruthless and now have a wardrobe that makes me very happy when I open it. I've already worn two tops this week I haven't seen in months. We have a new cutlery drawer, new spice racks, reorganised kitchen cupboards, and though the house is still covered in baby paraphernalia I feel like the superficial stuff is much easier to tackle now we are more organised under the surface.

Sunday dinner: I invited Grandad over on Sunday, and made us toad in the hole, onion gravy and something vaguely resembling bubble and squeak. It was lovely to cook us a meal and enjoy his company, and for him to get cuddles with his great-grandson.

#1day12pics: I took part in this over on instagram as part of the first week of A Year With My Camera, and although I used my phone, it was good to take some more photos, and to try and be a little more creative. The project is about getting better at using my real camera, so I do need to try and actually use it, baby steps though!

The Husband: Not that he isn't usually brilliant, but he's been particularly amazing these last few days. As well as giving up his weekend to help me sort through my wardrobes and put up spice racks etc., he has been doing mountains of ironing, keeping the house relatively tidy, and generally doing the lion's share of the work around the house, after working long days, to try and give me a little space to get out on a run, or cook a meal, or write this blog (he did bathtime and read a story while I write this!). It's good to feel like this parenting lark is a team effort.

Dog snores: we bought Millie a blanket from Ikea (I'm honestly not on commission, I just think it's my spiritual home) so that now we are spending much more time in the lounge, she isn't relegated to the floor. She is currently outstretched on her new blanket, feet resting against me, nose twitching as though she is smelling something brilliant in her dreams, and snoring contentedly.

So it appears there has been lots of good stuff despite the poorly baby, I'm already seeing the benefit of this weekly round up of happy things. Here's to a lovely week ahead for you all. 

If you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle.

wonderful wednesday

Having very much enjoyed Michelle's wonderful wednesday posts in 2016 I thought I'd try my hand at joining in with Sally's project. It seems like a good idea to make an effort to take stock of the good stuff so here I go!

Reading: generally just getting round to picking up books for the first time in ages, being on my second since the new year, but particularly my current one, Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish, a brilliant Christmas gift. I think I'll be telling everyone I meet about it, I'm trying to read it as quickly as possible so I can pass it on to someone and then bend their ear off about it. It is as though someone has written down my every thought about being a new mum in a far more witty and eloquent way than I ever could.

Cooking: or at least planning to. I'm just starting to get back into the habit of cooking again. I figure if we can manage Christmas dinner for seven I can manage to try a few recipes here and there and hopefully I'll be able to join back in with Penny's project again this year after a few months hiatus.

Hardy herbs: on a related note, I found a recipe I wanted to try and realised that the only ingredient I didn't have was parsley. Having long ago planted some herb pots that have been neglected for months I found that the parsley and chives were still alive and happily growing in the corner of the garden. I haven't made the recipe yet but I'm guessing if they've lasted this long they'll make it for a few more days.

Winter sun: the above picture was taken on a walk to the park today. It was a beautiful clear day, and it was lovely to get out in the fresh air with the pram (and the baby too of course!).

Ikea hauls: some people's idea of hell, I realise, but The Husband uttered those magic words "I'm thinking of rearranging the storage in some of the cupboards" and I couldn't get him there quickly enough. Hurrah for compartments and boxes and storage tubs and spice racks for the cupboard door and hangers that hold scarves, ties and belts, and candles, always a packet of candles. I resisted the gigantic bag of Daim bars though that may have been an error in retrospect.

I shall leave it there for my first attempt, but if you would like to visit some of the others (highly recommended) then Sally is the originator of the idea, you can search for #wonderfulwednesday and these lovely folks all post too: Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri, Mimmi, Martina, Isabelle.