This Weekend

So this weekend my Hubby and I thought we'd run away for the weekend on a last minuet deal. I had a serious case of the January Blues! We headed down to Torquay Friday night straight after work for a couple of nights in a hotel called Brampton Court. It wasnt the ritz but the guys running the place were a blast and the room was clean, super comfy bed - they upgraded us to a family room with sea views as the room wasn't booked for the weekend! We got there around 7pm and checked in, the view from one of the windows was so stunning with the reflection of all the lights on the water. When I can I'll upload a photo from my mobile, this was the view by day -


We relaxed, ate out a lot, shopped a little, drank a little, walked a lot and talked even more. From all the hills and steps our legs are very sore! We even visited the Living Coast which was really interesting on a very basic level but it was fair to say it was very windy! -





Torquay seems to have become our little haven, almost a salvation in a few ways.


But we're home now and tucked up in our own bed - the hotel one was more comfortable (not to mention huge!). Back to normality, which for me really sucks ATM! However January is nearly over and next month I have a few things to really look forward to - Valentines day and my Hubby's 26th Birthday! :-)

Plans are coming along for next month in terms of craft, food and gardening. I just keep looking ahead to get me though each 'normal' day. I'm also exploring a few little business ideas, kinda planning ahead for when we have children in the years to come when full time work won't be an option.

I really feel for my brother and his partner ATM as she's due to finish maternity leave soon and going back to her job isn't really an option. They'd have to pay for childcare, fuel to and from work and when working shifts childcare is hard to arrange - not to mention it costs almost as much as the average person earns an hour! That fact alone makes it pointless to me, for an extra £1 an hour I'd rater be with my baby! I just hope my brother can pick up enough hours at work to support both himself, his partner and his gorgeous girl without running himself into the ground.

I really think this country has it all wrong, thanks to our government starting a family is verging on impossible! Our maternity leave is good but then your pushed so hard to go back to work after 9 months it creates so much stress, tension and sleepless nights to work out how to make ends meet when all you should be doing is enjoying the new life you've created!

There doesn't ever seem to be a right time to start a family. Some say when 'your ready' but both being ready at the same time doesn't seem likely. Others say 'when you can afford to' but theres never enough money but you make do. I've kinda made a decision in a way but with no time scale and that's based on when we're 100% debt free in our everyday living. Once we've succeeded in that then we can start thinking about it. So you may see some frugal tips on here from time to time.

Time to stop going on and get some sleep!

V xx


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Pie Success - Month One

Steak and kidney pie, I followed the Hairy Bikers recipe for steak and mushroom pie but omitted the mushroom for kidney. For my first attempt at a pie it tasted wonderful, the chuck steak and kidney were wonderfully tender and the all butter shortcrust pastry melted in the mouth! But due to inexperience it didn't look too great! Lol I made a meal out of getting it out of the dish too!

Sealing the meat -


Browning the garlic and onions -


Deglazing the pan with red wine -


Pop it all together to go in the oven for 2 hours -


The finished thing, Hubby's -



Mine -





It took around 3 hours to make and I loved every second. It was all to much for my hubby so he played Skyrim and Sookie just slept! Bless her!






I hope you all had a great weekend!

V xx

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New York Dinner

So after Zumba we thought we'd have a quick tea and grabbed some New York Soup Co soup. I had Spiced Pumpkin and Hubby had Tomato and Paprika - mine was so nice, maybe a little sweet and his was more like a tin of chopped tomatoes which was a shame. Good job the bread we picked up was amazing!







So I've just finished my second Zumba class this week and boy do I ache! But MAN do I feel GOOD!

Time for a relaxing bath and then bed, ready for Friday!

V x

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Last Night

Wow what a great night, good food, good company and good entertainment! We tried a restaurant that we've not been in for years due to a bad experience. But with my tastecard they were offering 50% off you whole food bill so it had to worth another try. And guess what it was lovely! We saved a whopping £31.71 off the bill!


I meant to take photos of the food but we were all too busy getting stuck in! We then headed to Bowlplex for some . . bowling! We all had vouchers to get 2 games for the price of one! Hubby won one game and I won the other - I never win at bowling!! Here's Tony in action -


Hubby having a go -


And Amy giving it her all!


As you can see, not many people were bowling, by the end of our second game we were the only people in there! Such a good night, we went home to play yet more Kinnect! Really tired now after more Kinnect today and I have to go to Zumba tonight! This is the first one back since before Christmas and my first Tuesday night session! :-/ Wish me luck! Tony and Amy return to Sheffield tomorrow morning and I'm back to work so the eating healthy has to start. I'm really looking forward to the eating well part but not the work part! V x - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Crazy Sunday with Crazy Golf

Today I finally got some new jeans in Bristol and some Lush goodies! We all finished the day off with Jungle Rumble in Cabot Circus and Starbucks . . . . Mmmmm Starbucks sooooo good! The lighting was quite low so sorry for the bad photos! This is Tony, Amy, Hubby and Me!








It was fun, I came third! Lol Hubby won as always! Today we're off out for a meal using my TasteCard for the first time! Then off for some bowling, I'll let you know how it all is! I ache so much from golf and Kinnect! :-/ good to get some exercise! V x - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Flower Power

Isn't it amazing how one flowering plant can cheer up a whole room? Everyone that has come into our lounge has commented on its glory! Here's it's development -











Gorgeous huh? And these flowers last for weeks normally. V x - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Cold, windy & wet - Raynaud's

So today was scarily windy, bitterly cold and raining. All of which do not mix well with Raynaud's! Despite wearing three pairs of socks, which may sound stupid but it is the norm for me at work and yes I own a vast number of socks! I work in the old signal tower of an old train station which doesn't have heating - except an little fan heater! I managed to get too cold, even after a 30 min car ride home with the heater on high, I managed to get home and still have no feeling in my toes :-( I tried to take a photo so you can see how bad it can go but the bathroom light makes the white look yellow and less obvious but here we go -


The only option to warm up was a bath! Oh and yet again I'm ill, this seriously sucks! I never quite make it back to full health before I get another bug! :.-( I've been at work every day this week, although I've felt the need to curl up in bed every day! BUT I have four days off after tomorrow, so I can be ill in my holiday time . . . . Yay! We have my brother-in-law and his partner staying with us ATM for a week, it's kinda nice having people to cook for, even if I don't feel like entertaining. But on a happy note I ordered some Zumba clothes etc from America last week which turned up today! Super excited and they're colour clashing amazing! When I feel more energetic I'll model them and share some photos! Over and out time to snooze! V xx - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Years Day

So New Years day my hubby was nursing a hangover and thankfully I still don't get hangovers. So I got up nice and early and started to have a bit of a clear out, starting in the kitchen and finishing in the bedroom.

A bomb had gone of in our bedroom, clothes and Christmas pressies everywhere!


Sookie kept me company but wasn't too impressed with my progress, but she stayed out the way curling up on my bedside table -


By the end I had cleared out two big sacks of clothes, one to throw away with the trash and the other for a charity shop. I have to say if felt good to declutter!


Oh and my old friends will recognised this little treasure that had been lost and has now been found. This is a part of my soul!


That's all for now!

V x

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New Year New Challenges! New Look Blog!

So I've been thinking about this for a while, I really wanted to make all my challenges achievable but not too easy!

New Blog and life challenges -

1) Bake a pie from scratch once a month, inspiration from the Hairy Bikers Perfect Pies Book -




2) Crafty update once a month with at least one big project.

3) Pick up Zumba twice a week with my Mum on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

4) Run on the treadmill once a week so I can watch the new season of Vampier Diaries my Hubby bought me!

5) Use my new Zumba DVD set once a week -


6) Lose 4lbs a month though eating well, which combined with the extra exercise should be a comfy target

7) Learn one new craft skill a month. This can be anything from a new type of sewing, crafting technique to willow weaving. :-)

So what to you think to these challenges and the new blog look guys?

V x


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Happy New Year!

So last night was a little bit messy, but as we have worked for the four years I think we were overdue our own celebration rather than making other peoples night.

There was a theme throughout town that we had no idea about, check these costumes out -






And the best of all was this dark Spiderman!



By the end of the night we looked like this -


Very drunk and loud in the local kebab house!

Fun times! I'll be back later with a blog about the challenges I have set myself over the next year.

V x

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