Zoe Loves the Second Act

  As Tony & I lead busy lives it’s not often just the two of us get to go out for a meal on our own. I don’t work Fridays so last week Tony booked the day off so we could go out for lunch. Our restaurant of choice was the beautiful Devour in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. A stunning venue in the picturesque town of Holmfirth, the venue is modern, light and airy with a wonderful atmosphere that transports you to Italy. The food is all freshly cooked in the open kitchens along with a Deli so you are able to enjoy some of the wonderful home cooked pastas along with meats, gelato & fresh coffee’s at home. The restaurant boasts a delicious menu of starters, entrees & deserts and you really are spoilt for choice. We were welcomed as we arrived and taken straight to our table, the service throughout was excellent and the staff were all very friendly & attentive. Tony and I shared some of the delicious freshly baked garlic & rosemary pizza bread to start with w...

  My son Max loved watching Peter Pan Goes Wrong when it was shown on TV so I bought us tickets to watch it live as it’s currently touring the UK. This touring production is visiting many UK venues over the next few months & we visited the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre to watch this hilarious production, and what a fantastic night we had! Firstly, mum & son time (especially when your son is 16) is priceless and the fact that he’s still happy to be seen out with me is always a bonus. We had a great meal at Bella Italia before the performance, but we could have had our pick of many excellent restaurants. Having not been to Sheffield for a long time, I was very impressed with the theatre & dining district along with excellent parking facilities which can often be a nightmare in some cities. I’ll definitely be looking out for productions in Sheffield from now on. As soon as you sit down at the theatre the cast are out and about at least half an hour before ‘curtain up’ time...

  There is nothing more important than looking after yourself and having regular check-ups to ensure all is well. As you move into your 40's it becomes more and more important to check the things you can at home and have regular check-ups with your GP for things you can't check on your own. Life is busy and before we know it that smear test you've been meaning to book had been sat on your to do list for weeks and you still haven't been. All personal health checks are painless and at the very most slightly uncomfortable, they only take a few minutes out of your day and could ultimately save your life so make these a priority on your to do list not the thing that gets left until last.   BREAST CHECKS So many of us now know someone who has had breast cancer in some form and regular checks at home are vital. 1. Stand in front of a mirror with your arms relaxed by your sides and look for any changes in size, shape & position and any skin changes such as dimpling,...

  From a young child up to being 30, dancing to a high standard and then becoming a professional dancer, exercise was part of my daily  life. Throughout my late teens and 20’s I was also dedicated to the gym to keep myself in shape for my job. I had both my children in my early 30’s and since then I’ve dipped in & out of various types of exercise, some more successfully than others, but never re discovered any passion for anything. I’ve continued to exercise by running, pilates, swimming & the gym over the years to keep myself as fit as I can but none of them have ever brought me much pleasure, more like a chore to ‘get through’ as it’s good for me. Then a friend told me about a Hot Yoga studio which, ironically, is 10 minutes from my house & asked me to go along with her. Well I instantly loved it and have never looked back, now going religiously every Friday morning and fitting in other classes through the week when I can. Something about Yoga just resonated with...

  THE 6 MINUTE DIARY WHY I BEGIN & END EACH DAY WITH GRATITUDE! Journalling has become very popular recently and adding gratitude into my everyday life is a practice I’ve been using for the past few years. Showing gratitude each day helps me focus on the ‘here & now’ and has really helped to change my mindset and outlook on my life. Of course, we all lead busy lives and finding time to journal daily or write down 10 things we’re grateful for everyday isn’t always practical. This is why I first looked into buying a gratitude journal & came across The 6 Minute Diary on Amazon. It’s a beautiful journal that comes in many different colours and allows you to journal for 3 minutes in a morning and 3 minutes before you go to bed. In a morning there is a space for 3 things you’re grateful for, how you will make your day great & your own daily affirmation/intention. In an evening it asks you what your good deed for the day was, how you’ll improve & 3 great th...

As I find myself approaching the big 5 0 within the next year, I’ve been noticing so many changes in my body & mind. Turning 50 doesn’t really worry me! Having lost people in my life who were far too young, I see ageing as a privilege & something to embrace. I have many goals, plans & dreams to achieve and accomplish and I still have a huge energy for what’s ahead for my family & I. What I didn’t foresee however, was how I would feel as perimenopause hit!! The total lack of energy, lack of motivation and just the feeling of ‘blah!’. I’m very lucky, I have a loving family, a lovely home, food on the table and plenty of life’s luxuries yet at the end of 2023 nothing seemed to be giving me any energy & motivation. Luckily, unlike my mum & many before her, we do now know what this stage of life does to our minds & bodies and I’m so grateful for the wealth of knowledge we can tap into on the internet, tv, podcasts etc and the wonderful women in the public...

  After a wonderful January weekend in The Lakes with my 2 best friends last year, we decided to make it a tradition every January for something gorgeous to look forward to in this bleakest of months. We loved the cottage we stayed in so much that we booked it again and had the most amazing & relaxing weekend. Mirefoot Cottages are in beautiful Kendal in The Lake District National Park and the cottages boast stunning views with luxurious & stylish interiors. The owners and staff are very friendly, totally dedicated to this stunning complex and are on site should you require any assistance.   There are 5 cottages in all, and we stayed in The Old Grainstore Cottage which, as the name suggests, is a beautifully renovated Grainstore from the original farm, with stunning, modern interiors and is extremely well equipped. The 2 bedrooms are spacious with modern showers & a beautiful free standing bathtub. I’ve only ever stayed in winter but there is also an outdoor di...

  FABULOUS THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH 1. My Max’s 16 th birthday – where did my baby boy go? 2. Max got in to his first choice 6 th Form college 3. An amazing trip to Berlin with Belle 4. A gorgeous weekend in the Lakes with friends 5. A successful Pantomime season 6. Enjoying starting Yoga classes properly   LIFESTYLE, LEISURE, PLACES & HOME A trip to Berlin with my gorgeous girl One of my daughter Belles 18th gifts was a mum & daughter mini-City break to Berlin. This was originally booked for June 2023 but had to be changed a few times for various reasons, so we ended up going in cold January. Unfortunately, the weather is a bit like the UK at the moment, grey & wet but Berlin has had a big bout of snow recently, so the city looked quite waterlogged from melting snow. However, bad weather certainly wasn’t going to spoil our trip and, after an extremely seamless journey from Manchester, we arrived at our hotel The Hotel Riu Plaza. ...