Happy New Year

Christmas this year seems a bit of a blur and it was ages since.  No not due to huge amounts of alcohol and over indulgence. No we got the flu, well myself and Baby E got it full force, Little L was ill but didn't get a fever and P he had a cold. The dog was fine though ha ha.  

 

So today we ventured out after being too ill to move since Boxing day (no luxury for P he struggled on at work).  It was so nice to be out in the fresh air.  It was windy and cold but we went to a little wooded glen that was freezing but sheltered from the wind.  We went to Fairy Glen and saw lots of fairies (they looked like sticks but we were assured by a certain small person that they were fairies!). 

 

 

We walked whilst being told who we currently were being.  I am usually princess Anna, little L is Elsa and baby E and P are usually either the reindeer or Olaf.  To those without a Frozen obsessed child this means nothing.  We have watched this film a few times over the holidays.  And we also ate a few chocolate coins when energy levels were failing. 
Lovely to be out and about and hopefully we can shake off the bugs in time for back to school next week. 

A walk and some painting

The weather here is really mild at the moment and we are making the most of it by being outside as much as possible.  Despite the grass being pretty wet with dew most of the time Little L is still playing out with gusto.  I am really not looking forward to spending days stuck in the house when the weather turns.  So yesterday we had our usual walk to the park which Little L loves and then we headed a bit further into the village to walk down the canal.  

The walk is one we do a lot (admittedly not so much these last few months with being pregnant) it is an easy 3 mile circular route.

Little L was armed with a carrot for the horses which she insisted on holding "me hold tight" all the way there, I am surprised it made it in one piece and with no nibbles taken out. 

Carrot horsey .....

Mummy gave the carrots to the horses as they have big teeth

After our walk, lunch, sleep and snack we were outside again this time painting.  Not me for once Little L

Very artistic, I now have maybe 10 pictures that all look virtually the same????

Another busy week

Yes it has been a very busy week, a family birthday I made a yummy birthday cake.  We had two days up at home one for my mum's birthday and the other to get the car MOT'd and for my other half to help my dad laying flags.  Me and Little L had a look at G and G's new chicken's.  There are actually three but they are very shy and not used to being outside.  They are battery hens saved from the chop and given to my mum and dad hhhhmmmm thanks, they are a bit scabby and bold but their feathers will come back.

 

These are the other hens they already have

Little L loves looking at the hens (she doesn't yet know that the one of the cockerels likes to chase her cousins down the field)

I have had a productive week Ebay wise and have sold quite a bit, old clothes, a purse and some chairs.  Not quite an ebay millionaire but I am trying.  I have also been busy glossing woodwork (not easy with a big hairy dog) and going to playgroups.  Today we had a house full with my parents and one of my sisters and her family.  We managed to do this walk and bonus the icream van was at the top of the hill.  And I took delivery of this cupboard which somebody gave my sister.  The intention was to renovate it a bit and then sell it on Ebay but I am starting to like it myself for in our living room??

 

It is a lovely old pine cupboard at the bottom and then glass doored display shelves at the top.  It is badly stained in a few places and has quite bad mildew.  But there is potential.

 

 

 Any must go for now and do some knitting, my friends baby is due very soon and I need to get some pressies made

Free garden furniture and a walk

The other day was sunny and windy so we headed out with map and backpack to a nearby village for a walk.  We haven't done this walk but having driven a similar route many times we expected a hard slog uphill.  But it wasn't too bad,  all off road on bridlepaths through woods and then uphill.  I didn't have the extra two stone of toddler to carry uphill though.

A lovely view from the top

 

And then down the canal

The walk was less than two hours and we were back home for lunch.  And then I managed to finish painting my new garden furniture in time for the sunny weather.There are two benches and two chairs plus a huge table but I don't think we will keep the big table.  I don't really like eating outside, its never warm enough for me! 

And then just time for a spot of baking.  Yummy rock buns, we used to have these as children and the ones with a blob of jam in the middle hhmm I think I'll make them next time.

Bye for now hopefully I'll be back soon with some projects I have on the go

A walk and some crafting

As it was really sunny this morning after the usual jobs me and Little L wrapped up and set off for a walk. 

We went on our usual circular walk down the canal through the locks and back into the village (1hr 15 mins).  A good idea I thought but boy oh boy was it cold.  I can confirm we have Siberian winds here today.  It was freeeeeeeezing even in the sun the wind was bitter.  So we marched along looking at the ducks, moorhens and swans. 

Then off the canal and past all the ploughed fields.  We stopped to say Hi to our horsey friends Tilly and Murphy who got a carrot each. 

And then marched some more through the village.   

 

Back home warm drinks and I lit the stove to try to thaw us both out but it was exercise and I didn't feel guilty eating a hot cross bun at dinnertime.

 

After sleep time I did a little bit of crafting.  This frame (an ikea one) was found at the car boot sale last weekend.

 

 

This paper was wrapped around a little Mother's Day gift for me yesterday

 

So a little cutting, sticking, and stitching and ta-dah. 

 

 Simple but colourful.... now where shall I put it.

 

Weekend

Had lots of visitors over the weekend.  I think it is because our house is usually soooo cold.  Not that its boiling now but probably the living room is normal temperature for people who put there heating on. 

 

Friday night whilst others were out having fun me, the other half and little L were loading wood into our car in the dark and the rain.  Well it was a bargain we didn't want to miss and as he had finished work a bit early we went straight away.  So now our garage is full of two ton bags worth of wood not bad.

 

A cute spinning owl from York, a lovely pressie from sister J who visited us on Friday (wish we had been to York)!

 

 

Some knitting which I did at knit and natter on Friday whilst little L looked at books and tried to grab my needles. 

 

Saturday more visitors and much amusement watching Little L's new dance move combo.

 

Sunday more visitors and a little walk down the canal. 

 

 

And then home to a lovely warm house

 

Anyway bye for now, off to watch Homeland and do some knitting.

 

Look what we did today

Today my Mum and Dad came down to visit but no not a mere jolly they were on a mission.  Me, Mum and Little L headed off for a walk down the canal and left Dad and Mr P with hammers chisels and a grinder arghh!

 

We saw an unusual floating shed on the canal.  The man who has it is going to open it up as a floating health food shop.

We also saw some nice ivy flowers and red berries, very autumnal

 

 

 

We came back a few hours later to a houseful of red brick dust.  It was a bigger job than first thought perhaps and it turns out our house is very solidly built, always a good thing.  So an afternoon of further banging, grinding etc (which little L slept through yes she is a star) and we have a bigger hole with a lintel resting in place.

 

So next stage will be fitting a custom made steel plate over the bottom of the chimney and setting the lintel in place.  I can't wait, there is the small problem that we haven't got a stove yet but I am on the case.

 

Bye for now hope you had a good day x

 

Feature wall?

Sunday morning, before the rain set in, me and little L headed out for a little walk down the canal.  We left Mr P at home with a big hammer and a chisel to start knocking out the fire.

 

So this is the fire last week

 

This was the fire this morning

 

And then when we got back from our little jaunt, Daddy had been busy

 

 

It is a lot bigger but still a way to go! Next we will be cutting the fire place with the grinder hhhmm .... dusty.

 

Whilst he was knocking out the fire and little L was asleep I did a bit of planting as on our jaunt we popped into the supermarket and the cyclamens (my absolute favourite winter plant) were half price just £2 for 6 bargain.  And Ta-dah I have some on my kitchen and dining room window ledges and some at the front door.

 

Hope you all had a fun Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

A camping trip

We are back home after a brilliant camping trip up to Hawkshead in the Lake District.  Very unusually for us we had great weather which is a real bonus when camping. 

There was three families and lots of other children for little L to play with and we had a great time.  We haven't been camping for two years (2010 we had an epic two week camping trip touring Scotland!) last year baby was too small but this year we thought we'd give it a go.  And it went surprisingly well, she did want to crawl around a lot which was difficult but as there were a few of us there was plenty of people to pass the baby to. 

We camped at a lovely site in the centre of Hawkshead so we didn't use the cars very much.  And the site wasn't too crowded either. 

A walk (one of many!) not sunny but very warm

Some yummy hedgerow picks

We played in the park - This for little L

This for mummy!

A bit of knitting of course

A trip on the ferry to Bowness

Another walk in the scorching heat but at least I wasn't carrying the extra couple of stones!

What a view

Back home now to endless washing, slugs and a very grumpy girl who is suffering with the dreaded teeth again.  Ah its good to be home!

Back soon with knitting progress hopefully

Bye for now x

If you don't ask you don't get!

So Friday morning me and little L walked into the village to post an Ebay parcel (I'm going to be an ebay millionaire one day err not).  Anyway we walked past a house just up the road and me with my eagle eyes (extreme nosiness) spotted oooh they have had the paths relaid and look a lovely stack of 3 x 2 concrete paving flags ooohh I want those.  But I couldn't see anyone around. 

So we went and did our errands and then on the way back two builders were there so I just asked "What are you doing with the old flags?" them "Why do you want them" me (who wouldn't??) "Yes please, I only live around the corner".  So they said they would ask the lady and see.  So I waited in the afternoon and yes they knocked and lucky me they gave me them all.  And so kind they brought them all round to our house in their van (4 trips worth). 

Look 19 3 x 2 flags and edging stones

And they even gave me the rest of their sand!

So this little lot saved us a lot of time, hassle and money cos we couldn't just order flags from a builders merchant  no we would have to get second hand and we don't have a trailer.  Very kind and they even gave me some pointers about relaying the flags.

So eventually when we have some time we can rectify all this

I have gotten many bargains from walking past houses and thinking are they chucking that out?  Once I got a shed.

Hope you are having a good weekend

Bye for now x