tourists in our own town

We always go on about needing a holiday (as if three isnt enough next year I'm flying out to meet mum in Rio for her birthday) saying we need to get away and explore a new place but strangley Danny's never been out and about in Christchurch, so we decided to battle through the cold on the weekend and enjoy a day of just us.  First stop had to be cheese&Alfies for another mouthwatering breakfast. This is the pan breakfast...basically a locally sourced, stunning fry up. I went for pancakes, I always go for pancakes. If you want to read more about Cheese&Alfies I posted about them here. We then went for a rather chilly stroll through the Priory and past Twynham castle before heading back home to the warmth. Christchurch is full of history and it was so lovely to get a chance to explore a little bit more.

When we got back Danny suprised me with this beautiful glittery rose and a trip to the Lush spa, I am so excited as we've had such a terrible past month or so due to family problems too hardcore for Jeremy Kyle and about 1001 different illnesses. I'm not sat in front the fire with a fluffy blanket waiting for Kayla to come and help me put up the christmas decs! amazing.

What've you been up to lately?

Do you love your home town ? 

xoxox

Brockenhurst christmas food fayre

Over the weekend me and rosie donned our wellies and headed out to the Brockenhurst christmas food fair. We both agree that local is best so were super excited to see what our home county had to offer. The fayre was teaming with little stalls full of handmade and home baked goodies. The best stall by far was the hampshire chutney co. who are amazing, their cheeky chutney has been my favourite since we discovered it at rosie lea. They had some amazing offers and we both made off with two jars of chutney and a mini! After a good hour of stomping about in the mud in our wellies we decided we were starving and became rather excited by the sight and smell of the food tent, sadly for rosie ( mrs I hate mushrooms) they only had this gorgeous mushroom soup and crusty home made bread left. It was honestly the nicest soup I've ever had in my life ever. We pit stopped just long enough for me to devour my lunch before heading home to make yummy treats to share...or not share...
Sweet potato wedges and bbq hot sauce = heaven.

Are you making a christmas food hamper?

Do you agree homemade is the best?

xoxox 

the five year plan

One of my favourite bloggers, Emma, who blogs at the daisychain recently did a post about living out her life dreams and talking about her future plans. I love writing lists and making plans, in fact my first ever blog post on my old blog was a life to do list and I've ticked all of it off bar being a size 10, but I have dropped a dress size since I wrote it - so I'm well on the way! Anyway, I'm getting kinda old now and life is getting to that serious stage where I have to budget my money and get stressy over bills, in fact life's changed a hell of a lot in the last 5 years (remember five years ago, just leaving school and OH MY GOD GCSES ARE THE HARDEST THINGS EVER IM GOING TO DIE AND WHY HAVENT ALL OF McFLY TURNED UP AT THE FRONT DOOR WITH ENGAGEMENT RINGS YET!?!) which has led me on to wanting to write what I aim to achieve in the next five years and it's all big scary grown up things, eek! 

The five year plan

1) Move to Australia. I doubt anyone needs an explanation as to why I want to do this. I'm a real outdoorsy kinda gyal and love the beach and being on/in the water (fyi I was a member of the sea cadets for years and years and very nearly joined the Navy!) and the idea of being able to live and eat outside for more than 3 days a year. I've always wanted a real family life too and from what I know of the family and friends who live there Aus is a real family kinda country. I'm going out for a few weeks next summer with boy to meet all of his family and I think it's going to be super hard to get either of us on the plane home!

2) Eat at nicer restaurants and enjoy food more. This is a real grown up thing for me to say, I love nothing more than quorn chicken nuggets and peri peri sauce or hummus and pitta but my taste buds have started getting all sophisticated on me and I'm starting to miss all the fancy restaurants my family used to take me too when I was little / before I moved out. If me and boy feel lazy we tend to order a takeout or go to spoons, the food of both being far from pleasant (unless drunk or hanging), if we saved going out to somewhere crappy once a week we could afford somewhere nice every other week. He loves his food too, so I think going somewhere nicer and trying new foods should be something we do together. Or maybe starting t having fancy dinner dates / dinner parties with my girlies!

3) I don't know if I dare write this one?! Buuut get engaged. I'm in one of those horribly loved up nothing ever goes wrong sickening type of relationships (touch wood) and we're both pretty sure our futures are together- especially with the whole Australia thing (we met at the beach!). Boys little brother proposed to his girlfriend 6 months ago and ever since I've gone into wedding overdrive, possibly because they haven't - not one bridal magazine has been bought, not one blog has been bookmarked!? We've obviously ended up having that chat and both agreed we do want to end up married one day, but not until 101 other things have been done first and until it's the perfect time (and in his words '' I cant propose in this country it wouldn't be special enough'' ). I think he also knows I will be a total control freak as I have my entire wedding planned in my head and it will be totally perfect. Oh and P.S we move in properly together in 9 weeks now, eeee no more packings suitcases and getting buses to his house! 

4) Go to a festival. I genuinely don't remember the last festival I went to. I grew up going to little hippie festivals with my mum and the only one I've ever been to without family is soul survivor. I've never really been a fan of the huge festivals apart from maybe bestival or beach break so I'm putting them on the list of things to do!  I might even brave glastonbury, but I just like the idea of a muddy cider fuelled festival weekend without my tent being set on fire (a la NASS).  I'd also love to go to bamboozle in the states one day but I don't think I ever will, so I guess slam dunk leeds it is (everyone knows London's for losers!). 

And I guess that's it really, some are really big points in fact most are big grown up life changers. I'm half tempted to put back in the size 10 business but I am getting there and I know that by the time we go to Australia next year I will be 100% satisfied with my body and well if I look banging as a 12 then so be it. 

Happiness is the Key to success. 

What's your five year plan? 

Can you believe how much you've changed in the last five years?

xoxoxox