My 40th weekend away

My In-laws gave me a gift for my 40 th of a Night away to Inverness in a 4 star hotel. 

Me on a pedestrian suspension bridge which wobbled big time as you tried to walk over! Gave you that strange sea-sick feeling, like walking on a trampoline

Its a very very very rare thing that we are seen without one of the children, so to have a day and night alone was amazing. We started off by arriving in Inverness and entering a pub! 

Our 1st stop was a bar! No kids!! Was gooooood.

Had a wonderful time, in the wonderful company of my husband staying at a wonderful hotel! The room we had was fantastic. It was HUGE but the views were ace!

Evening meal at the Italian.

Our evening started with a wicked meal in an Italian called Zizzi's. Seriously delicious food. From there we had a tour of the pubs then back to the Hotel where some traditional Scottish music was being played by 2 guys. It was very good.
 From our massive window we could see Inverness Castle, the bridge and right up the centre of Inverness High Street. 

Inverness Castle at night ( which is not a castle any more  its actually the High Court these days)

This proved very good watching later on when all the drunks were about.  Getting the train there and back also heightened the enjoyment as there was no worry about parking and driving. I most certainly know now what I will be doing once the kids get older! Weekends away loads I imagine!!

Loved watching the bridge as the lights changed colour LOL how sad........ Yet mesmerizing!! 

My 40th!

40 eh!.!.!.!?

I remember turning 21 and thinking that at 40 I would be almost dead I would be that old! BUT here I am. 40. Some days I feel 20. Some days I feel 30. Some days I feel 80. BUT wow was I spoiled! Had a lovely but early start to the day, kids came in about 6.45am ( they wanted me to open everything before Mike left for work at 7.30) Got to open all my gifts in my bed which was ace! ................

..........................I was given an iPad2! So so so thrilled with it. Its even got my name on the back, which gives me the right to claim it back at any time from anyone who is on it!  "ITS MY iPAD IT SAYS SO ON THE BACK" is that I shall shout. The camera thing is funny, we have had major giggles playing on it.

After that came the beads. I have been on about learning to make Jewellery since last year. It was something I thought I would enjoy sitting making. My problem with Jewellery is I am so dam fussy (about pretty much everything mind you) and when I see something I like I always only "kinda" like it. Its too long, too short, no earnings  don't like the style of the earnings etc etc SO my cunning plan was to learn how to make it all so I can then alter stuff to suit my taste.  Now I need to sit with the books and figure out where to begin.......

...............Another gift fulfilled a passion I have in life. A passion I never thought I had till someone said about my boots! I do love them. The newest ones I have got were a gift for my birthday. Always need MORE boots and also................................

.........DIAMONDS!
I never ever in a million years ( or 40) thought I would be the kinda girl that likes Diamonds. The song never made sense to me, Diamonds are a girls best friend. That is until the last few years. There is a range called "Hot Diamonds" that I adore! They seem to make everything that I like, there is not much in there range I would not wear..........which is amazing cause I am known for my complete over the top fuzzy nature. I got a beautiful necklace and earring set and a ring from my parents. I decided to change a few years back. I used to "keep things for good". For special occasions etc. NOW I don't do that. Life is too short. So many items I have adored that I kept for good and by the time you go to wear them you can't. Things are either too old, too small, too big so now I live in the now and wear it all the time............... 

...........My Meal at night was a huge treat. It was at Chapter One in Forres and WOW it was good. One of that meals that you will remember as a treat for a long time. I had Fillet steak which was about 2 inches thick, topped with Pate and served on toast with veg and chips and a wonderful Madeira sauce! ..........




.....................This weekend I am heading for a night away in Inverness. Having never been there for the pubs and night-life I am looking forward to it. We are staying in a posh hotel with NO KIDS which is a first and going out to sample being young again.Inverness is the Capital of the Highlands of Scotland and is of course famous for its Loch with the monster in it. But we ain't there Nessie hunting. The pubs there have live music which is something we love. There is no where in Elgin that has that any more. I am sure I will blog about it.




Update on Slimming---------- not good! Exercise and slimming as stopped over the 40th celebrations. Gained a pound and a half which is nothing! I need to eat more to make the gain worthy of my 40th!! LOL Back on to it on Monday 17th! Until then I have chocolate cake I need to finish and an iPad that needs to be played!

Time to light up....

The thing I love most about this time of year is Candles! So today I went hunting for them, gave them a clean and a dust and set them up. I love nothing better than to sit in my Living room on a dark cold night with them flickering. 

Love the Iron ones at the top. I got them years ago and today I was painstakingly trying to clean in all the curly bits and though Oh F**k this and shoved them through the dishwasher! They came out a treat too!

The smaller one you can see in the background I got a year or two ago at a Party Lite party. There is an Elephant one ( pictured) and a matching Giraffe one. They are wonderful when they are lit as the candle gives the animals the effect of movement.

Muffins!

For years and years and years I worked as a Baker. Though my baking skills never came to much at home. Infact I have always been terrible at home, always ended up temper tantrums and major Tourettes. HOWEVER I decided I needed to find a decent use for the fruit that was heading past its best. Being on a Diet I always have fruit about and alot does head into the bin. I detest waste so........... I sat this morning and trawled through a load of American Style Muffin recipes to find one that suited my needs.I wanted one that I could control the wetness off depending on what fruit I would add. Tonight I had a go. 1st batch was Raspberry and White Chocolate, the 2nd was Curly Wurly and Chocolate chip. Both worked ok. Need a better Muffin tin but I am sure my Mum has spares in her shed lol. 

 Everything laid out ready to go

The Raspberry and White Chocolate

                                       Curly Wurly and Chocolate Chip


Next thing I need to try is to replace the sugar with granulated sweetener and see how that goes, need to get them slightly slimmer!

Sharons 40th!

What can I say! What a night!!! What a blast!! all I can say is Thank you for the invite! Ace time.
got my hair done in the Hairdressers, got my LBD on and headed to Sharons at 7pm for Cocktails. At 8.30pm the Limo arrived and we drove all over for an hour then hit the pubs. Can't remember how I got home so thats the proof it was a good night. I did however lose my daughters Radley purse with £40 in it! Gutted!!!

My in my little Black number! Makes the Slimming Club worth every penny.

Our Limo

The Birthday girl in her Limo

Big night ooooooooooot

Have a big night out this weekend. My friend Sharon who I go walking and to Zumba with turns 40. For 4 whole days she will be older than me till its my turn.......

Anyways, started the pre night out prep so today was the hair and eyebrows. Hair got cut and coloured and Eyebrows waxed.  My hair now has 4 colours through it, purple, blonde, copper and brown. I am taken with it but its in a slightly different style. Its more shaped round my face BUT I am having to resist tucking it behind my ears which is my usual. 
Tomorrow night sees the hair removal process on other areas ( which I won't blog about hahahaha)

Grumpy Biatch

Oh the title fits me good today. I  started off today in a bad mood having sat at the PC with my morning cuppa and clicked on Facebook. God dam copy / paste crap does my head in. All I could see what people who had copy pasted from others.  Copy paste this is if you know some one with Cancer, Copy paste this if you know someone who has been at war, Copy paste this if you know a bully, copy paste this if you know someone who has died.......who has lived......who had farted on a bus copy paste this if you have been eaten by a dodo.  To be honest Facebook is boring me. Its getting to me but I just can't delete my account..............yet. I have however downloaded all my data so its can't be long before I hit the Big Red G.T.F button. But at the moment I am just too nosey....

Slimming..........Grrrr that pissed me off big time today too! Have been semi good this week. All my meals were good, I did have slightly more snackery than I should normally have BUT I am exercising 4 times a week! FOUR!  Two of them are hour long Zumba sessions, then 2 walks with the girls. These are decent paced walks and last about 2 hours! 7 miles average and I go to slimming tonight to have GAINED a pound and a half!
 I know however that my body is changing, that I am toning up, that my clothes are looser and that muscle is heavier etc etc etc but its such a kick in the teeth to work so hard then gain. 




BUT on the positives I decided to cheer myself up by seeing measurements and how they have changed since I started Slimming and exercise.

All losses


Chest -11cm 
Waist -15cm
Thigh -6cm
Upper Arm -4cm
Hips -11cm


Which I am so chuffed with.
Anyways, onwards and upwards.