Belated Birthday weekend Part 2: Stir-Up Sunday...

Today was Stir Up Sunday!!! For those who don't know, Stir Up Sunday is the traditional day for making Christmas Puddings and/or cakes. It's something to do with being the eighth Sunday after Trinity or something, idk.

Stir Up Sunday is a BIG tradition in our family and is something that Mum has instilled in Olivia and I to pass down to our families in the future. We stick on the Christmas Carols cd which we all sing along to and make the pudding together, taking it in turns to make a wish during the final Stir of the pudding... Christmas starts here!

Do you have Stir-Up Sunday too?

They were laughing at Daddy's wet shirt... (??)

And we're off! Christmas Pudding 2009 in the making...

Nearly there... can't you just smell Christmas looking at this...

Mum making her wish!

Olivia's turn...

Oh dear... say cheeeese!

Last but not least!

After lunch, a lovely surprise - BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!!! (It was a Me To You bear cake)

So Birthday celebrations are now officially over until next year. I have been thoroughly spoilt this week by friends and family and between my Chocolate Fudge cake from Dad and today's cake from Mum & Co, I have leftover cake coming out of my ears! Would anyone like some?!

I hope you have all had great weekends too!

xx

Belated Birthday Weekend Part 1: Meal, 24th October 2009

I have had an AMAZING weekend! I cannot remember the last time I felt so happy... and it was due to one thing - my family.

Because my Mum, Step-Dad and sister live about 40 minutes away, I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. That's not because we don't have transport to see each other, but because our work schedules make things difficult. My step-dad and I both work full time during the week, and my mum has her own business which often means that their weekends are fully booked away from home.

(I'll do a separate post on this, because my mum is AMAZING at what she does and it doesn't warrant a passing mention).

Oh, I don't like referring to my Step-Dad as "Step-Dad" because I always think the term sounds quite harsh. I think of him as my other Dad, so I'm calling him Daddy in my blog, which is what he is to my sister Olivia and what he gets called most of the time by all of us.

Anyway, the four of us went out for a meal on Saturday evening at my favourite EVER pub, The Hare Arms. It's not your regular run-of-the mill pub, but a gorgeous little place crammed full with all sorts of knick-nacks and curio. Peacocks roam freely outside and the pub cat enjoys plenty of fuss (and nibbles) from the patrons... aaaaah I could go on. And no, they are not paying me to sing praises!

Because the pub is nestled at the top of a little lane in the middle of nowhere, you pretty much have to drive there - thus it's frequented by a really nice clientele and you have to arrive before 7pm to get a table. It is definitely not the kind of place for fighting lager louts, which is great because I HATE it when you go somewhere and there is that undercurrent of tension, and you can't relax because you're aware that trouble could erupt at any moment. (That's why I prefer not to go out haha!)

Me... Birthday Girl!

This "lampstand" was massive! Great idea though!!

Peacock feathers from resident birds :)

A ceiling full of golf clubs...

My sister Olivia and I... guess who beckoned over the resident cat!!

Excuse the quality of some of the pics (there is no flash on my phone's camera).

It's probably just me, but if anybody else likes knowing what people had to eat (no? Just me then!) this is what we had:

Me: Baked Camembert & bread as a shared starter, which was divine. Main: Gammon & pineapple, salad and chips - again perfect, the gammon steak was as big as the plate! Dessert: Mile High Toffee Pie... oh so good!

Mum: The same as me apart from Tiramisu for dessert :)

Daddy: Starter: The same as Mum and I. Main: 14oz Rump Steak with salad and chips (very good apparently) Dessert: Creme Caramel.

Olivia: Preferred bread to start. Main: Lasagne, chips and salad (I think she enjoyed the chips and salad most, but we tried the lasagne and it was yummy!) Dessert: Four Tier Chocolate Fudge Cake... and Olivia couldn't quite believe it when she was unable to finish it... being defeated by chocolate is unheard of!

All in all it was the perfect birthday treat... xx

Birthday countdown has begun!!

Hello my dears! I hope everyone is well?

I cannot believe that Birthday Time is almost upon me again - it's frightening how quickly this last year has passed. The fact that I'm going to be 32 is beyond scary :|

Now that I'm getting older I find myself re-assessing my life and everything in it and to be honest it scares me a little as I never feel as if I have achieved anything from one year to the next.

My mood wasn't lifted by my Dad's partner, who thought it helpful to state "oh, you won't be having children will you, now that you're going to be 32" I replied that I had plenty of time yet but she just laughed and told me that she doubted it as I am still single. It's no secret that she hates me so I took it with a pinch of salt, but still, thanks a bunch.

Anyway, for some reason I haven't given much thought to my birthday this year - maybe because I usually go away. Well I say "usually" but to be honest it's only been the last couple of birthdays that I've jetted off somewhere. Last year I was staying with my best friend Lisa, who emigrated to Malta earlier in 2008, and for my 30th in 2007 Lisa and I were in my beloved New York (oh, how I miss that city).

I know that I'm going out for a belated meal next weekend with my Mum, Step-Dad and sister but I haven't even made any concrete plans with friends this year... how sad is that?! I'm sure that we will end up celebrating somehow though...!

Today my lovely Dad and his partner came over to see me and bring some presents. My Dad lives about an hour away and sadly I won't see him on Tuesday.

On their way to my house, Dad and his partner stopped off to browse at a car boot sale, and Dad found this and thought of me - and it only cost 20p!! I LOVE Ant and Dec, so am very pleased! It isn't a birthday present, but co-incidentally I did ask Dad for their new autobiography, Ooh What A Lovely Pair!

The three presents at the back are from Dad and his partner (I'm being polite. To be honest, I know that they are just from Dad really), and the little one at the front is from two of Dad's friends. And I have a few cards already! My Grandma always sends mine early so it's sure to get to me on time - she's adorable. I miss her awfully and wish that she didn't live so far away.

I was only expecting one present from Dad, so I was really touched when he gave me the bag containing the others too. I am under strict orders not to open them until Tuesday :)

And if that wasn't enough, he also gave me this:

What an absolute darling my Dad is! He even thought to include a pink candle... I nearly melted! I adore anything with toffee / fudge so this is beyond perfect! Excuse the pun but it really was the icing on the cake :)

Oh, before I forget, I was heating up a lazy ready-made curry last night, and this REALLY made me laugh:

                                     

"Please cut open to serve"???? Oh please. This is insanity. What on earth do they think people are going to do, just sit and LOOK at it???

Have a good week everyone xx