Feeling festive

Hello all.

So today, the saga with the tree reached a good conclusion! We took back the fake one and swapped it for a real one.

It is only a diddy one but it smells so good! Have not had a real tree since I was little. I do now have a rash from the needles though! This evening we decorated it;

Keeping it simple. Plus the poor little branches would not take the weight of some of the decorations!

I also decorated a christmas cake for my parents and one for Andy’s parents;

And to check that the recipe was still good I made some gingerbread cookies in preparation for making a gingerbread house next weekend;

Fun cookie cutter shapes- stars, heart and snowman.

They make the house smell so festive 🙂

For breakfast I enjoyed festive porridge- porridge with a handful of cranberries, a tbs pumpkin puree and some mixed spice.

Yum 🙂

I also posted the cards I had written the other day, and bought some wrapping paper so I am getting prepared.

One of my favourite things is to get home from work and put on the lights on the tree- it makes the evenings feel special.

In the shops today I heard A Winter’s Tale being played, and I love that song. When I was younger I was in a choir and we sang that one winter, it’s such a beautiful song. I also love Winter Wonderland for some upbeat singing. My favourite carol is Silent Night, which reminds me of my Grandad so makes me a little teary. So, fave festive song or carol?

Ice, ice baby

(Perfect porridge weather- I also tried out my new thermal socks and the chilblains cream- am hoping to prevent any more from coming)

Icy is what the roads are like now! The snow half melted, then froze overnight, then some more snow came, and that has also melted a little and frozen again. By the time I left for body pump this evening it was so slippery outside my house- not good.

Anyway, body pump was great– we had some more newbies (but they actually turned up on time!) and I really warmed up! I wish I could save the heat that I generate during a class, and disperse it during the day at work!

I wrote some cards today 🙂 starting to feel more organised. At work we have decided that instead of sending cards to all the staff, we are going to put some money into a charity pot- anyone else do stuff like this? Sending cards in the workplace is a minefield- do you send them to your year group, the people you work with every day, all the teaching staff, etc etc- plus you see these people every day so are bound to tell them your seasonal wishes!

Night and hooray it is nearly the weekend- anything exciting planned?

Lovely innocent

Hello!

Ages ago I signed up the the innocent smoothie email (if you are not signed up then I suggest you do)- and every now and then they do little random acts of kindness (got some mistletoe sent in the post once!). A while back there was a link to get free innocent veg pots for your office, so I signed up and promptly forgot all about it. Well, they arrived today!

They delivered ten for the school (when you signed up you had to say how many people worked in your office and I didn’t think they would send enough for all the staff- near on 80!)- 4 of these ones, 4 curry ones and 2 mushroom risottos! I had already made my lunch so I bagsied one to take home and enjoy another day. But it made a few people pretty happy at lunch- plus we got some money off voucher- love it 🙂

This morning I tried the cranberry and raspberry porridge;

It doesn’t show up too much in the picture but the berries were so pink and pretty. I thought it might be quite tart, as the only sugar is in the sweetened cranberries, but actually it was lovely, really thick and creamy, and a delicious flavour. I think it would be lovely with some mixed spice in it too.

After work I popped to the shops to pick up some bits, (including some more Christmas shopping- presents for all the parent helpers, kids etc) and in desperation went to Boots to see if they had anything for my poor toes. They actually sell chillblain cream, so I got some and I will be applying it as often as possible from now on! I also got some new thermal socks (20% off in Sainsburys) so I am having a mulit-pronged approach!  I also spent my Boots points (I am such a hoarder) on some Clinique Comfort on call cream. I get such dry skin in this weather, and I think the tub has lasted me 2 years, so as it was running right out I decided it was worthy of my points! I always like to get something worthwhile with them, I don’t like to spend the points on lots of little things, which is silly as it all adds up to the same in the end! Anyone the same with their loyalty points?

After all that it was time for something quick and warming (I suppose I could have had the veg pot but I had a load of veg in the fridge to use up)- a bean burger and some aubergine, courgette and beetroot with tomato quinoa. Yummy.

Not much snow

Evening all, hope you are all toasty.

Well, living in the south of the UK, we were not expecting much, so it was nice to wake up to an inch of snow this morning. I dutifully cleared it off my car, including the headlights and roof (so it won’t blow off while I am driving). Once out of my little road (I was the first car out for the first bit), the roads were actually clear so it was fine. Well, until the school car park!

Again it was cold, and once home I was trying to decide whether to go to aerobics this evening. My throat is sore so I don’t want to make it worse with all the shouting, but then tomorrow is a planned rest day anyway. The snow has gone mostly, but the stuff left has started freezing, but that is mostly down side roads and on the pavements, so my route to the gym should be clear. I even rang to check it was on (and I was half hoping it would be cancelled as it would make my decision for me). But in the end, I decided to go, as it might help warm me up! I was glad I went, although there were only 5 of us in the class so I think a lot of people decided that their houses were nice and warm, and they didn’t want to go out in this cold weather!

Now in this weather there is nothing better than porridge to warm you up (in my opinion) and lucky me, after sending an email to Dorset cereals saying how much I love their mueslis, they have sent me some porridge to try;

I am excited about trying the flavours, and also thinking that they might be handy to take with me to stockholm next year, as the little packets will travel well and are measured out. Although the marathon starts at 2pm so might have to start having porridge for lunch and doing long runs in the afternoon!

On a totally different note- does anyone get chillblains, or in fact know how to stop them? Every year for the past 5 years or so, I have got them (once they got infected -gross -sorry too much info!). The advice has been thermal socks (but not 2 layers of socks as that can hinder circulation), thick shoes, don’t put feet on a hot radiator, take gingko supplements (I follow the advice to the letter) but I have got them yet again, and my feet have not been warm all day. So any cures please help!!

Gym etiquette

So first of all, a little moan (sorry). At the moment we keep having new people turning up late to body pump. They generally come in after the first 2 or 3 tracks, so then we have to stop and help them get out their equipment while the instructor shows them the set position and everything. It is starting to get annoying as we have to be out on time as there is another class after, and so we end up cutting it fine. So anyway, I would like people, especially if they are new to a class, to get there on time please.

Anyway, body pump was great this evening, I had much more energy and really warmed up- I have been freezing all day. No snow here, (well, a dusting overnight but only on the cars and fences), but it is so cold it would not surprise me if there was.

I also tried some Mulu dark chocolate, with cacao nibs.

It was nice- the cacao nibs added a good crunch.

I hope everyone american is having a good thanksgiving, and that everyone in the UK is looking forward to the weekend 🙂

Laters, dudes.