Tuesday 31 January 2012

AFTERNOON TEA

I had a fantastic weekend away with the girls, a bit too ambitious but still loads of fun! We started with tea at the Ritz London, which completely lives up to it's reputation... It was exactly how one would imagine; A group of great girls sitting around catching up over fabulous sandwiches, desserts, scones, champagne and of course tea. I love, when you do something fun and it's with the most perfect people. If I had gone with Husband it wouldn't have been the same experience, although still nice.

In my opinion, if you are going for an afternoon of tea anywhere it should be with a group of great girls fawning over the ooo's and ahhh's of the entire setting and having a proper catch up which is exactly what we did. Like anything great it went by too fast. 

I want to tell you about the Oxo Tower dinner too but my friend Ailsa (Angel of the North) is here for a few days and I want to make the most of her time here. xoxo

Monday 30 January 2012

MY MOM

Be a girl with a mind, a woman with attitude and a lady with class- Bling Walker

Wednesday 25 January 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR.BURNS

We are making haggis, tatties 'n' neeps tonight and Connor has memorized and is reading out the Address to Haggis at dinner in honour of Robbie Burn's day.

The boys are then heading to band (pipe and drums) after dinner and I'm sure they will play a few tunes to celebrate Mr. Burn's birthday. We love haggis!!


ADDRESS TO HAGGIS 

A blessing on your honest, hearty face,
Great chieftain of the sausage race!
Above them all you take your place,
  Stomach, ttripe, or chitlins,
Well are you worthy of a grace
  As long as my arm.
The groaning trencher there you fill,
Your buttocks like a distant hill,
Your skewer would help to mend a mill
  If time of need,
While through your pores the flavors distill
  Like amber bead.
His knife, see rustic labor wipe,
And cut you up with ready skill,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
  Like any ditch,
And then, 0h! What a glorious sight!
  Steaming-hot, rich!
Then, each with spoon in hand, they stretch and strive,
Devil take the hindmost, on they drive,
Until all their very swollen stomachs soon,
  Are bent like drums,
Then the old goodman, just about to burst,
  In thanks, asks.
Is there anyone who after eating French ragout,
Or olio that would sicken a sow,
Or fricasse that would make her throw up
  With absolute disgust,
Looks down with sneering, scornful attitude,
  On such a dinner?
 (as Haggis)
Poor devil! See him after his trash!
As wek as a withered reed,
His leg like a whip cord,
  His fist a nut,
Through bloody flood or field to dash,
  Oh how unfit!
But note the rustic, haggis-fed!
The trembling earth echoes his tread!
Thrust in his ample fist a blade,
  He will make it whistle!
And legs, and arms, and heads will lop,
  Like tops of thistles.
You Powers that make mankind your care,
And dish them up their bill of fare,
Old Scotland wants no watery menu
  That slops in wooden bowls!
But, if you want her grateful prayer,
  Give her a Haggis!

35 WEEKS

I'm thirty-five weeks... I have 5 weeks left to go.

I'm feeling nervous and anxious and scared but I know women have been doing this for a very long time and I will be fine. I am pretty sure we have bought all the basics and are ready for Master Bump whenever he decides to come.

I'm not sleeping much at night, usually waking up between 3:30am and 5:00am, but take naps when I can during the day.

At the start of my pregnancy I was addicted to things like lemonade, sour candies and salt & vinegar mini rice cakes and pasta! Now it's pink grapefruits, oranges, homemade soups and more pasta, I can't get enough!

MB(master-bump) does move, but less than I imagined he might- just calm little movements like lapping waves.

I went in for a hospital tour the other day at St. Michael's and the thought of a home birth continues to makes complete sense; I need to figure out the details. I am sure the hospital is fine, just not what I was expecting- It's not The Plaza! Imagine- the option of giving birth at a Fairmont- my dream.

Speaking of great hotels... I'm heading to London's Ritz Hotel this weekend to meet up with the girls for high tea, shopping & supper at the  OXO Tower. It will be my last big outing before MB joins us. I'm so glad Lyndsay suggested we go, it's exactly what I needed. Our little foursome is bound to have a brilliant time,  I will take lots of pictures of the little cucumber sandwiches and write a full review upon my return! xoxo

Monday 23 January 2012

COT

The boys put the cot together last night. They did a great job! The house is starting to fill up with hints of a wee one to come.

Friday 20 January 2012

Wednesday 18 January 2012

PSALMS 139:1

FLAWED - SAVED BY GRACE

THANK YOU STELLA

WD-40 USES: 1. Protects silver from tarnishing. 2. Removes road tar and grime from cars. 3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings. 4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery. 5. Keeps flies off cows. (I love this one!) 6. Restores and cleans chalkboards. 7. Removes lipstick stains. 8. Loosens stubborn zippers. 9. Untangles jewelry chains. 10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks. 11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill. 12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing. 13. Removes tomato stains from clothing. 14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots. 15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors. 16. Keeps scissors working smoothly. 17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes. 18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks. 19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40! 20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide. 21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers... 22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises. 23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.. 24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close. 25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers. 26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles. 27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans 28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling. 29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly. 30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools. 31. Removes splattered grease on stove. 32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging. 33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs. 34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell). 35. Removes all traces of duct tape. 36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain. 37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.' 38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements. 39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states. 40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch. 41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag. 42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone! 43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start. P.S. The basic ingredient is Fish Oil.


I'll be trying out # 14 how about you? 

I ♥ HUNTERS

Tuesday 17 January 2012

34 Weeks

FASTER

Yes, I watched the Bachelor this morning- for 1 hour every week I hide myself away and become that giddy little girl that loves love. This week it was this song that made me smile- enjoy.


Monday 16 January 2012

Friday 13 January 2012

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE WINDOW

Yesterday, I was out shopping and I saw this four foot stuffed Labrador in the window of a shop for £12.00. I went back to grab him in the afternoon and he was gone. Lesson learned, never pass up a good deal the first time around. Master Bump would have loved this big guy!

Happy Friday- Have a great weekend!

Monday 9 January 2012

MONDAY QUOTE

"I'll take character over reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." - AJ PEREZ

BOOKS IN THE NURSERY

Elizabeth Sullivan Designs

Sunday 8 January 2012

BE KIND

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind."
– Henry James

A GIRL CAN DREAM

As I'm thumbing through my favourite magazine "The Clifton" this morning, I see a few beautiful design spaces for my future; one being this Calacatta Viola Honed Marble Vesta Bath tub. Knowing nothing of marble, cost or bathroom design, I Googled it, foolishly thinking it was attainable one day. This is what I found online- my dreams are dashed. I, along with half of England's population, will never own this Calacatta Viola Honed Marble Vesta Bath (said like Baaath).- made in Turkey (of course)

A girl can dream.

1990x1000x550mm 15% off
£12,950.00
 £11,007.50 excluding VAT

Friday 6 January 2012

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND

This weekend we are going to get rid of the 2011 dust still hanging around our place ie.(clean) and start preparing for our little bundle who arrives in just a few short months; I want to have everything perfect for him.

 I think Steve might be taking me out for dinner and a movie. These are my choices....I heard New Years Eve is great and I'm craving Piccolino Pasta, it's always pasta! I wonder if  it's because we toured Italy in the early weeks of my pregnancy.



Have a great weekend! xoxo

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Tuesday 3 January 2012

STROLLER HEAVEN

We've been looking around for the past few months at strollers; not only are they expensive but they are confusing! We've narrowed it down to four: the Quinny, the ICandy, the Bugaboo and the Sola from Mamas & Papas. The poor staff who sell these "travel systems" to first time parents should be given a ultimate customer service award. We've been back to every place at least three times. To be fair to the parents, the prices of these travel systems fluctuate like stocks, so just when you think you've found the one for you, they add an extra 200 pounds to the total price. This is called "The Business of Babies". My Mother-in-law has mentioned a few times that an 'umbrella stroller' would be just fine but, but, but... I can't see the light yet and probably won't realize half of her good advice is right until I'm on to my second child. Since we have a few months left I'm sure the shops will be seeing us a few more times! I'll let you know how it all turns out. xoxo

Monday 2 January 2012

NYE LONDON FIREWORKS

 This New Years Eve was absolutely perfect in every way, Steve even joked about me putting a curse on it because I couldn't stop going on about how great it flowed. We booked the Sheraton Skyline at Heathrow and after enjoying a relaxing afternoon by the pool we got ready and took the free bus to the tube station and tubed into Piccadilly. We spent a little time looking at the London Christmas lights and decided on Chiquitos for dinner in Leicester Square. Around 8:30 we made our way down to Waterloo bridge and found the perfect spot to set up camp to wait for the fireworks. Extra blankets, our smallest lawn chair and treats made it the perfect picnic spot among the 250,000 other people around us; they actually sheltered us from the wee bit of rain we got.  I will never have the same memory as the 2012 London Mayor's Olympic fireworks, standing on the bridge with Big Ben, Horse Guards and Parliament as a back drop for the fireworks while Radio One's live DJ played, it was magical! We left right after so the wait wasn't long for the tube and we were home safe in our beds while everyone was still out ringing in the New Year.- A perfect night for this soon to be Momma!

Happy New Year to all my friends, family and followers! May we all shine brightly in 2012 xoxo