Number 13

I have lots to talk to you about today, so let's get right on into it...

My nation's capital is a beautiful city, but alas I haven't visited nearly half enough. This is going to be remedied however by a fabulous girlie weekend on the 28th of April. Having had my boys young I didn't ever go on a weekend away with girls friends - but that is about to change. My wonderful husband is having the boys for a weekend all by himself so that I can go with his big sister Elin to Cardiff. I am super excited to have a little mini break from everything and all I will have to worry about is what outfit to buy! heehee. I am driving us up first thing in the morning where we will then 'shop till we drop' all around the city centre and it's fabulous mall's. We are then going to have an amazing dinner at Red Hot World Buffet - this restaurant's menu is absolutely amazing, you can eat dishes from nine different countries for only £14.99 and you can eat as much or as little as you like, from all these cuisines! I have never been but Elin assures me that it is amazing and I am going to be in food heaven - now don't go worrying your pretty little heads about my diet, I am still focussed and will be while I'm there, but I may let myself have a small dessert as a treat! After dinner we may go to some bar's or maybe do some dancing (which I absolutely love) and then it's back to our hotel The Dexby Town House - a gorgeous boutique guest house, newly renovated, 10 minutes outside the city centre (which also happens to be owned and run by Charlotte Church's parents!). A child free sleep, lie in and a lovely cooked breakfast the following morning then home, completely relaxed and ready for cuddles and kisses from my beautiful family  - Doesn't it just sound perfect!! 

 

Rob's sister Elin is my absolute best friend and has been for many years now. We met when Rob and I started dating and hit it off straight away. As we both became adults and had families we grew closer and now talk almost everyday. We have done many things together and always have so much fun and far too many giggles. The first time I met her I was 14 years old and I was invited over to her home for a picnic with Robs. She let me pick the tunes on her radio in the car and we talked about music and celeb gossip. I remember wishing I had a sister as cool as her (I'm an only child), and now I feel I can say I have :) She is wonderful - she always has a sympathetic ear for me and my moaning, and she knows how to snap me out of my low days. I can't wait to spend the weekend with her in Cardiff!! Woohoo! I hope the weather is nice for us...

The weather here appears to be picking up and it's making me long for the summer months. Some of my favourite memories are of spending long warm evenings playing in the garden with my family and eating BBQ food, long walks at sunset on the beautiful local beaches. Don't you just feel happier when the sun is shining? I always do - the winter months always feel so drawn out and miserable. I love seeing the flowers in full bloom, the bright blue skies and seeing little ones in summer dresses and short trousers. I long to wear summer dresses, flip flops and sunglasses, and let the sun highlight my hair. Not long to wait now!

Today I happened to be in Haverfordwest (the nearest big town) with some time to kill, so decided to walk around the shops with my husband. He asked if I wanted to go in anywhere specific and I mentioned looking at clothes in Evans, but just before we got to it I realised that even though I love the clothes in there - I no longer need to shop in there - I now fit in the majority of high street shops. Needless to say I was elated and jumped about a bit at the realisation. We then went into another clothes shop and I was able to pick out anything and try it on - it was such a wonderful feeling! 17lbs so far - I am having a good week to so far so I am looking forward to weigh day again on Monday. I am getting ever closer to seeing 10% of my overall body weigh disappearing - 6lbs to go...

This brings me on to talk about our good friend Hefin's wedding. It feels so close now, and so long ago since he proposed, the reality is that it isn't that long, but time just seems to be flying at the moment. He is getting married in the absolutely stunning Gellifawr Hotel. It will be the first time I have been to a wedding with a wedding breakfast and I am so excited! His bride to be Tracy I'm sure is going to look stunning in her dress and I can't wait to see how handsome my husband looks in his best man suit! I have yet to buy a dress for the occasion as I am still slimming down in size, but crikey I am so excited to be able to wear something and feel comfortable and not whale like. I am sure the day/night is going to go off without a hitch and I am really looking forward to it.

I have been baking today for a friend of mine and have come to the realisation that creating your own recipe is an art form, but well worth the end results. Today I baked white chocolate and raspberry sponge cake, which I will then fill with white chocolate ganache and raspberry coulis - decadent and delicious. As a family we all tried it and it was so wonderful - you get the sweetness of the white chocolate immediately followed my the smooth flavour of it, and then the after taste is of sweet raspberries - this is one I am so excited to make again and is completely my own recipe... maybe I'll share it with you sometime... :D

Finally, I want to share with you the item on the top of my most wanted list and how it got there - I parked outside Jago, a brilliant little shop in Narberth (also in Tenby), and a tin sign caught my eye from the doorway... a tin sign I hear you say, well here is why - When I was a little girl I had a mug that when the bottom was in the light it would sing 'You are my sunshine', which always made me smile. My favourite person Nanna and I used to sing it together too and more recently, knowing how much I love it, if I am very down, Rob's takes me in his arms and sings it to me. Well this tin sign has it written on it in a gorgeous font, and I think it would be perfect for my kitchen! 

Signing off for now lovelies - hehe excuse the pun!.

Thanks for reading!

xx