A week by the sea

Spring bank hols 2013 we managed our first family holiday in four years. For the first time we weren't moving or pregnant and we managed to scrape together the pennies for a lovely week at the seaside. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Sandsend ...

 

Certainly the place to be seen this summer, we are pretty sure Mary Portas was also in residence!

Here was our cottage ...



And the view, oh that view...





The weather was gorgeous for most of the week and early mornings I'd open that door and lay on the sofa sipping my cuppa and listening the the roar of the waves. I would so love to live right on the beach one day, well I can dream! The week was filled will little boy centred activities, such as creating beach creations with a load of washed up bamboo...



And the more traditional castles ...

 

Wearing our comically over sized sun hats ...

 

Spotting the vintage buses, what a beauty ...

 

Failed attempts to do crab catching ...

 

Amassing large fossil collections ...



We took trips to Staithes, Robin Hoods Bay and a couple of jaunts into Whitby ...

 

Including one with Nana where we partook of refreshments at Sherlocks tea rooms ...



We found a converted park "boat", which was perfect for pirate games ...



And overall we had lots of fun. We grown ups slept like logs (sea air!) and there were lots of laughs and lovely memories to keep forever ...

 

Start the saving for next year!
Toodle pip
J
x

Easter round up

Our Easter hols have started to fly by, only a few days left to go before it will be back to work for me .... boo :(

We seem to have achieved quite a lot and have had a very busy week so far.

On Good Friday we packed the car to the gills, steeled ourselves for five hours of driving fun, and headed back to the hills for a few days in order to visit Grandma and Grandad. The weather was freezing but at least the sun shone. We managed a brisk walk along a bit of the seafront at Aberystwyth ...

And the boys enjoyed zooming around the castle re-enacting star wars and pirate battles ...

When the wind got too cold we retreated back indoors so I managed to get quite a bit of crafting done. Paper squares are currently being taped into 864 of these lovelies ready for the next wedding quilt ...



And I finished a last minute knitting project for me, inspired by the chilly spring weather we seem to be stuck with ...





Planning for the next house projects also started today, complete with two trips to the timber merchant to stock up on more wood. Most of it the right size - eventually! So while the tiddlers go to Nana's for a sleep over on Saturday its shelves for him and curtains for me. Here is a sneaky peak of my project ...



Very excited indeed to be finally doing these :)

Today was a chill out day in the main so I even managed to dust off my griddle and whip up some goodies inspired by our trip to Wales ...



Twenty one of these sugar coated Welsh Cake yummies were produced at tea time, but only nine were left by the time I found the camera. As quick as they came off the griddle they were getting snaffled up. Ah well, at least they were appreciated.

Toodle pip
J
x

Random round up

A couple of completely random pics to round off this weekends triple posting. No hang on a sec, there is a theme, they are both related to purchases made last weekend during our "date" day. Mum came and sat on the kids for us so us grown ups went out to lunch and for a mooch round Harrogate. I found a fabulous material shop and completed buying stuff for the wedding quilt I'm making, three nice fat piles - about a thousand - are now sat awaiting their stitches ...

 

Laying out is booked for next weekend, yay!

The second treat was a set of Orla Kierley storage jars ...



L-R ..... Branflakes, adult biscuits and green tea bags. Scrummy!

Toodle pip
J
x

Adventures in a tin shack

The post holiday blues have firmly settled on the patch this week as we returned from our first proper family holiday.



We spent a few days exploring Pembrokeshire which was just what the doctor ordered. The weather was very kind to us with the sun shining pretty much all weekend long. Our Tin Bungalow was utterly fabulous. Quiet location, fab interior decor and a lovely garden. None of my photos do it justice - it was truly fantastic. The only downside was the massive electrical storm we had on the first night, a tin shed in the middle of a field is not the most comforting place to be when the lightning starts a flashing!

The little man had lots of lovely first experiences...

Paddling in the sea...


Digging sandcastles...


Eating a whole yummy ice cream by himself...


Taking big train rides...


Taking little train rides...


And making new friends


(Explanation required: this dopey half dead fly was hanging around in the conservatory while we ate breakfast and R was fascinated by it .. shouting, pointing and generally going nuts about it - consequently we named him Felix and nominated him as R's new friend!)

A fun time was had by all...


I'm looking forward to next years hols already!
Toodle pip
J
x

Easter holidays retrospective

We've had quite a few little trips out here and there over the past couple of weeks and each time I've thought, oooh I must blog that, and then never got round to it. So I'm doing a retrospective to catch up :)

Trip 1 - en familia 'Yorkshire branch' visiting Salts Mill in Saltaire. Lovely architecture and tall towers for photo posing ...



Highlights of the day were a fabby art shop with lots of lovely notebooks and pencils to covet and delicious cake in the Salts Mill diner served on very cool crockery. We very much wanted to take a little something of the flatware home with us but common sense prevailed and we took the moral high ground. Consequently, all we came away with was this little card which held our receipt...



Lowlights of the day were being ripped off at the very scary chip shop by being charged 10p extra to have our take away chips in a tray (I know we should learn to lunch in a higher class establishment) and then getting caught up in football traffic, cue wailing baba! His timing is perfect.

Trip 2 - shopping spree to York. Breakfast at Bettys - R showed a fondness for Bettys cinammon toast, he's developing very expensive tastes...



I managed to finally buy new trousers (ones without elasticated waists - huzzah!) and get a treat from here. Apple and almond face scrub and a tube of their fab hand cream - because I'm worth it.

Trip 3 - seaside excursion to St Annes for some bucket and spade action, ice creams and charity shop bargains galore - £3 for a big bag of pale turquoise wool, kerching, a quid for a giant cone of sock wool, double kerching :) This time I'm going to make something for myself!

Here's R enjoying the sand ...



Trip 4 - A spontaneous outing to a distant garden centre to acquire some potted herbs for the herb bed. Pointless detour via Berriew to visit the Andrew Logan sculpture museum ... closed :(
And a very worthwhile detour to Montgomery for delicious lunch here ...




The apple pie has been firmly established as a 'pudding memory' to be talked about for years to come :)

All this and I've got a double day trip coming up this weekend and then goodness knows what birthday jollies to look forward to the weekend after. Crikey what a busy April! And have you spotted how food based all our activities are? Lunch here, cake there, ice cream here, a bit more cake there -but what is a good day out without food huh?

Toodle pip
J
x

Come rain, come shine

What ever the weather the little man gets taken on a walk every day, sometimes just the once but usually at least twice - once during Daddy's shift in the morning and once during mine on an afternoon. I find it is a good cure for the dreaded afternoon grizzles and the blast of fresh air does everyone good. Today we decided to document our favourite route ... the Talybont loop.

Ready for the off ...



Round by the pretty church ...



Up the lane ...



Past a house I'd like to live in, the one on the left. Sewing room on the top floor, window seat in the bay window, greenhouse out the back (you get the idea!) ...



Over the bridge ...



To say hello to the fishes in the stream ...



We get very excited when we say hello to the fishes ...



Then past Mummy's other dream house which is in the process of being renovated and stripped of its character. They pulled down a victorian glass house/conservatory that was on one side of this cutie ... next the plastic windows will go in ... grrr!



I think it is the symmetry of the place that I love. It is how you would draw a house as a child and I think it would definately suit some roses round the door ...



Then is is a quick scoot round to the playground ...



For a quick swing swing ...



Before it is back home for a well earned cuppa and a sit down. Phew!

Toodle pip
J
x