HELLO JULY 2023

 

FABULOUS THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH

1. Being booked for a lot of adjudicating jobs, I’m loving this new stage of my career.

2. Seeing progress with my hair treatment course

3. A wonderful 2 day trip to Windsor with Tony & my parents

4. Isabelle is very happy with how her A levels have gone & I’m unbelievably proud of the hard hard work she’s put in.

5.  and my gorgeous boy Max is experiencing his first mock GCSE exams & I’m beyond proud of how he’s conducted himself, how hard he’s worked and how he’s applied himself.

 

LIFESTYLE, LEISURE, PLACES & HOME

The Old Grain Store Cottages – Kendal The Lake District

I have recently enjoyed a wonderful weekend away with my two best friends in one of these stunning cottages in The Lake District & what a weekend we had! Perfectly situated approximately 20 minutes from Kendal Town Centre & 30 minutes from Windermere, it’s the perfect location to experience this stunning area. The cottages themselves are stunning and of extremely high quality, the on site pool & jacuzzi is maintained to the highest standard and I really couldn’t fault anything. I will definitely be returning in the near future.

 

BEAUTY, HEALTH & STYLE

Morning Pilates & Meditation

I’ve been so busy for the past few months, my exercise regime has really taken a nosedive and I have to do something about it. I’m still very busy at work so I’ve given up my Gym subscription for the time being but I’m breaking myself back in with morning pilates at home. It’s only a short session initially at the moment but I already feel better for moving & stretching my body. I’m planning to find a class to go to locally soon to get into it properly.

After I do my pilates session I do a 5 minute morning meditation which I’m finding to be a fantastic way to clear my mind & focus before my day begins.

 

RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

Hard Rock Café – Piccadilly Circus London

On a recent trip to London, we booked a pre theatre dinner at Hard Rock Café. I love Hard Rock’s as, having travelled extensively I always liked to visit the Hard Rock in every city I visited.

I’ve been to both London restaurants a few times, but I was slightly disappointed this time. The food was very average and not as hot as it could have been, the service was quite rushed with little care and attention & the prices have gone up astronomically recently. I eat out a lot and I’m more than happy to pay well for good food & good service but my bill for three of us was unbelievably overpriced for just one drink each and a main meal. I appreciate London prices are much higher than in the North, but I’ve had far far better meals in London which were much better value for money. I will still visit Hard Rock Café’s when I travel but I’ll be trying other restaurants in London next time I visit.

 

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

Birthday Shot – For my beautiful mums birthday

The original Birthday Shot recipe focuses on a basic vanilla cake flavor while livening it with colorful sprinkles and frosting garnishes. It's similar to a birthday cake martini, only in shot form.

Ingredients

·       ½ ounce white chocolate liqueur

·       ½ ounce crème de cacao

·       ½ ounce whipped cream vodka

·       Ice

·       Sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

1.      In a cocktail shaker, combine the white chocolate liqueur, crème de cacao, and vodka.

2.     Add ice and shake until chilled.

3.     Strain the mixture into the shot glass and garnish with sprinkles.

 

FILM/TV SHOW OF THE MONTH

Happy Valley

How I missed this when the first 2 series were on I really don’t know. I’m extremely late to the party but luckily, I binge watched series 1&2 so I;ve been able to watch series 3 in real time with what seems like the entire UK. It’s also filmed in Halifax where I work & some parts of Huddersfield where I live which makes it fun looking out for familiar locations.

Sarah Lancashire is just phenomenal along with the wonderful Siobhan Finneran, James Norton and the rest of the superb cast, each episode really is witnessing an acting masterclass. Sally Wainwrights script is genius and I am on tenterhooks waiting for the finale this Sunday.   

 

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Manifest, Dive Deeper – Roxie Nafousi

I’ve read Roxie’s first book Manifest & I related to it in so many ways & I’ve tried to implement her practices into my daily life. As the title suggests, her second book delves a little deeper into these practices & encourages us to create excellent Manifesting habits.

 

THIS MONTH I'M LOVING

Oh we have SUN at last!!!!!

 

THIS MONTH I'M NOT LOVING

My Summer break still feels a long way off!!!

 

THIS MONTHS FAVOURITES

1. Etsy – I got lots of lovely personalised gifts for Isabelle’s 18^th and I’ve continued to shop there, the quality & service has been excellent

2. Poached eggs!! My absolute favourite breakfast food!!

3. Galaxy Ripple – not had them in years and Tony bought me one last week – yum!!

4. ‘Maternal’ ITV’s new 6 part drama – edit, it’s not being renewed for a second series which I’m not happy about

5. Premiere Inn’s – ok, I love luxury & Premiere Inn’s are as basic as can be BUT I have to stay in them quite often for business and, for the price, they are clean, comfortable with a great ‘fill your boots’ breakfast. Ideal when all you need is a shower, bed and food.

6. ‘Newsies’ the Musical – we saw it in London and it was incredible

 

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH