HELLO MAY!

 

FABULOUS THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH

1. My beautiful girls 18^th birthday

2. Her 18^th party

3. A fabulous trip to London

4. I had a few great Adjudicating jobs which went amazingly well

5. I got into a much better yoga & meditation schedule & and good morning routine which made me feel much better mentally & physically 

6. A lovely Easter with family

7. A hugely successful production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid which I choreographed

8. Tony’s birthday

9. A few delicious meals out with family & friends

10. Afternoon Tea at Manor House

11. Isabelle passed her driving test!!!!!

 

LIFESTYLE, LEISURE, PLACES & HOME

Uppermill – Saddleworth

Nestled in the civil parish of Saddleworth and sitting on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Uppermill is a beautiful village that my family love to visit regularly. A 30-minute drive from our home, we love to take Dora our Cavachon for walks along the canals, followed by a meal at one of the dog friendly restaurants. We particularly love the Diggle end of the Standedge Tunnel and regularly eat a Diggle Lock, a dog friendly restaurant popular with dog walkers and has a fabulous breakfast and lunch menu. The area boasts many restaurants & bars, The Old Bell Inn & Grandpa Greene’s luxury ice cream parlour being amongst our favourites. We always begin with a walk on the canal, stop somewhere for lunch then finish with a visit to Newbank Garden Centre before heading home.

Uppermill and its surrounding areas are lovely to visit if you are in the vicinity and I highly recommend spending a day there.

 

Getting my garden ready for Spring

I’m so excited to be getting back in my garden and, as a rookie gardener last year, it’s lovely to see my plants begin to bloom again (with a few casualties here & there). I learnt a lot last year that I hope I can rectify this year along with looking forward to trying new things & learning more & more. I find spending time in my garden each morning very therapeutic and I can’t wait until it gets a little warmer so I can also enjoy my morning coffee outside. My next step is to buy myself a new small greenhouse so I can grow more from seed, especially vegetables which I thoroughly enjoy growing & reaping the benefits.

 

BEAUTY, HEALTH & STYLE

Perimenopause

Yes, suddenly middle age is beginning to hit me, as has perimenopause. Unlike many women before us, my generation are extremely lucky that perimenopause (which I hadn’t even heard of a few years ago) and menopause are being widely talked about these days, thanks to fabulous women like Davina McCall, and it makes it so much easier for women to ask for, and get help.

Once my symptoms began I decided I wasn’t going to suffer in silence and I was going to catch it early so I went straight to my Doctor. Luckily for me, my doctor was extremely well read and understanding of the menopause, I know some ladies aren’t as lucky, and she put me on HRT. I’m on a combination of the oestrogen gel (the spray is in such huge demand it’s almost impossible to get at the moment) along with a progesterone tablet I take at night.

It's still early days for me so I’m still having some symptoms, however, I am sleeping better overall, and I certainly don’t have the anger many women feel.    

I’ll be updating my progress regularly in the hope other women don’t suffer in silence and go & get help should they need it.

 

RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

The Golden Cock – Farnley Tyas Huddersfield

I’m very lucky to live within the beautiful West Yorkshire countryside surrounded by rolling hills & beautiful views. Along with this comes local country life & a huge selection of fabulous pubs & restaurants to choose from. The Golden Cock is a stones throw from my home and is the epitome of a cosy local country pub which boasts an excellent restaurant. Popular for local walkers, families and dog owners alike, The Golden Cock is warm & welcoming to both locals & visitors from further afield.

The Seasonal menus boast good hearty pub classics at great value for money & local ales and a vast selection of wines and spirits are available at the bar.

Friendly service and homely charm is what makes The Golden Cock special and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Booking is recommended however due to it’s popularity. 

 

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

Cherry Blossom Cocktail

Ingredients
1.25 oz 1800 Silver Tequila
1 oz lime juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
.25 oz grenadine
Grapefruit slice or maraschino cherry for garnish
Salt as needed 

Instructions
Pour all ingredients into shaker and shake well.

Strain into a salt rimmed martini glass or serve over ice.

Garnish with a grapefruit slice or cherry.

 

FILM/TV SHOW OF THE MONTH

Mr Selfridge

I watched this TV Drama avidly when it first came out & as all 4 seasons are now on ITVX I’m loving watching it all over again. The sets, costumes, acting and production are wonderful & I adore the sheer escapism!

 

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Becoming – Michelle Obama

What a remarkable woman!

An excellent book which is well worth reading.

 

THIS MONTH I'M LOVING

My newly branded blog name & website

Zoe Loves X

 

THIS MONTH I'M NOT LOVING

The weather is pretty poor for this time of year!

 

THIS MONTHS FAVOURITES

1. Audible, I love reading and having to drive quite a bit for work, audible is perfect for me.

2. Moet Champagne

3. Reflections – Holly Willoughby

4. Corrie – I watch it avidly even though it has it’s ups & down but the acid attack storyline this month has been excellent

5. Daffodils, daffodils and more daffodils – it’s Spring!!!!!

6. Jimmy Choo, I want Choo eau de parfum

7. Shirt dresses

 

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH