Mother's Day was celebrated throughout the UK yesterday - Mothers were woken by their loved ones eagerly awaiting to shower them with tokens of love and appreciation whether they be in the form of a cuddle, homemade card or breakfast in bed.
Mothers are so special - they always sense when you are feeling down or need reassurance or even a cuddle. They always know the right thing to say. Everyone needs their mothers whether they are little or big so always show them that you love them not just one day in the year!
Monday, 19 March 2012
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Where has all the time gone...
I cannot believe that it is now March....
We had a lovely January celebrating Scott's nana's 90th birthday - It was aoperations fair planning her birthday. Scott's mother put a lot of thought into the day what with a lovely birthday cake, gorgeous flowers and high tea at Woodborough Hall - fantastic location around the corner from the cosy church that Scott and I got married in.
Our friend, Jayne re-scheduled nana's hair appointment from her usual Wednesday appointment to the day of her birthday so she looked her best on her special day. We always phone her on her birthday so despite taking the day off from work, we decided to tell a white lie or 2 while still in bed, Scott phoned to wish her and then I called her, both pretending to be travelling to work and that we would meet up with her on the Saturday to celebrate - little did she know that in a few hours we would be celebrating in style.
Scott's parents picked her up and took her on a scenic route so as to give Scott's cousin, Mark and his partner enough time to make it to the hotel before her arrival.
Well...when they arrived and she walked towards the doorway and saw Scott, Jen, his sister, Simon, her boyfriend, Mark, Richard, grandpa Alec, Auntie Joyce and me, she started to tear up which triggered Scott's mom, Jen and myself to tear up as well!
All I can say is that she thoroughly enjoyed herself - the cakes, scones and sandwiches were all delicious and so was the glass of Moët and tea....!
We had a lovely January celebrating Scott's nana's 90th birthday - It was aoperations fair planning her birthday. Scott's mother put a lot of thought into the day what with a lovely birthday cake, gorgeous flowers and high tea at Woodborough Hall - fantastic location around the corner from the cosy church that Scott and I got married in.
Our friend, Jayne re-scheduled nana's hair appointment from her usual Wednesday appointment to the day of her birthday so she looked her best on her special day. We always phone her on her birthday so despite taking the day off from work, we decided to tell a white lie or 2 while still in bed, Scott phoned to wish her and then I called her, both pretending to be travelling to work and that we would meet up with her on the Saturday to celebrate - little did she know that in a few hours we would be celebrating in style.
Scott's parents picked her up and took her on a scenic route so as to give Scott's cousin, Mark and his partner enough time to make it to the hotel before her arrival.
Well...when they arrived and she walked towards the doorway and saw Scott, Jen, his sister, Simon, her boyfriend, Mark, Richard, grandpa Alec, Auntie Joyce and me, she started to tear up which triggered Scott's mom, Jen and myself to tear up as well!
All I can say is that she thoroughly enjoyed herself - the cakes, scones and sandwiches were all delicious and so was the glass of Moët and tea....!
Saturday, 21 January 2012
2012 Resolutions.....
Well 2012 has arrived - both Scott and I made a decision that we would get healthy this year so on the 3rd of January besides returning to work that day, we joined Slimming World with 2 of Scott's colleagues.
So we sat down listening to a very friendly group leader introduce herself to us and speak so passionately about Slimming World. When we left that evening, we were all excited about starting our Slimming World journey and even bought several Slimming World cook books. By the end of the week, we were eagerly awaiting our turn to step on the scales and see if we have lost any weight - to our surprise, we both did very well - I lost 6 1/2 pounds and Scott lost 6 pounds! It comes down to making sensible decisions when planning your meals. I am pleased to say that I have lost a further 4 pounds and Scott has lost another 3 1/2 pounds. Besides healthy eating, I had a 1 to 1 session with a personal trainer and he has given me a great programme to do at home.
So, I am pleased to say that we have managed to keep our resolutions for more than a few days!
So we sat down listening to a very friendly group leader introduce herself to us and speak so passionately about Slimming World. When we left that evening, we were all excited about starting our Slimming World journey and even bought several Slimming World cook books. By the end of the week, we were eagerly awaiting our turn to step on the scales and see if we have lost any weight - to our surprise, we both did very well - I lost 6 1/2 pounds and Scott lost 6 pounds! It comes down to making sensible decisions when planning your meals. I am pleased to say that I have lost a further 4 pounds and Scott has lost another 3 1/2 pounds. Besides healthy eating, I had a 1 to 1 session with a personal trainer and he has given me a great programme to do at home.
So, I am pleased to say that we have managed to keep our resolutions for more than a few days!
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Merry Christmas to all
I cannot believe it is Christmas eve - I finished work earlier this week and Scott finally finished work on Thursday. We are spending Christmas at Scott's parents home with Scott's sister, Jen and her boyfriend, Simon as well as Nana , Great Auntie Joyce and Granpa Alex.
We have decorated the lounge tastefully and now we are all looking forward to the next few days of spending time together enjoying each other's company and some delicious food prepared by my amazing mother-in-law, Brenda and both Scott and I will be assisting her in the kitchen.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! X
We have decorated the lounge tastefully and now we are all looking forward to the next few days of spending time together enjoying each other's company and some delicious food prepared by my amazing mother-in-law, Brenda and both Scott and I will be assisting her in the kitchen.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! X
Saturday, 10 December 2011
A night of murder on the Trans-Siberian Express
A few weeks ago, we hosted a Murder Mystery evening...the scene was set on the Trans-Siberian Express in the 1930's.
We invited 6 friends of ours and sent them a invitation with all the details of their characters that we chose for them to be for the evening. We had a Russian General, the General's wife, a Chinese Ambassador, Geisha girl (spy), old wise Chinaman, his daughter (another spy), a British Major and his secretary.
The host manual gave us tips on how to manage the evening and also menu suggestions but as we didn't like their suggestions, so we chose to serve:-
Starters:-
Smoked salmon with cream cheese with cavier on bellini'S
Main Course:-
Beef stroganoff with crunchy potatoes
Dessert:-
Apple and Toffee Crumble with custard
Between courses, we had to read extracts from each of the character guides and exchange information that was relevant at certain times of the evening.
The evening went well...glad to say that we were able to guess the murderer....lots of laughs were had by all as we all tried to speak in different accents some better than others.
We would definitely host another Murder Mystery evening!
We invited 6 friends of ours and sent them a invitation with all the details of their characters that we chose for them to be for the evening. We had a Russian General, the General's wife, a Chinese Ambassador, Geisha girl (spy), old wise Chinaman, his daughter (another spy), a British Major and his secretary.
The host manual gave us tips on how to manage the evening and also menu suggestions but as we didn't like their suggestions, so we chose to serve:-
Starters:-
Smoked salmon with cream cheese with cavier on bellini'S
Main Course:-
Beef stroganoff with crunchy potatoes
Dessert:-
Apple and Toffee Crumble with custard
Between courses, we had to read extracts from each of the character guides and exchange information that was relevant at certain times of the evening.
The evening went well...glad to say that we were able to guess the murderer....lots of laughs were had by all as we all tried to speak in different accents some better than others.
We would definitely host another Murder Mystery evening!
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Jane Eyre
Last week, one of my colleagues organised a ladies night and as she knew that we were keen to see the latest film of Jane Eyre, she booked tickets at her local cinema in Belper.
We all managed to leave work at about 10 minutes before close of business so that we could ride in convoy to the cinema. As I didn't know the area, so I drove in the middle and I just relieved that we weren't separated in the traffic.
The cinema is open to the public and one can purchase a membership but it is not part of a chain. It only has one screen and has a lovely feel to the place. There is a bar available that offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as tea, coffee and cake is also available.
The cinema was packed despite Jane Eyre have been on the circuit previously.
We had fantastic luxurious seats in the back row - what a pleasure!!
I have always wanted to read the book but never got a chance and it was never part of my coursework at school but I did have a vague idea of what the story was about.
I was instantly drawn to Jane's character and the strength that she portrayed at such a tender age. Then there is Mr Rochester who is the older, stern man that sees her as his equal despite their age gap. I have to say that I fell in love with Mr Rochester despite his dismissive manner.
I felt myself longing for them to be happy and for Jane not to have any further heartache in her life! Therefore, when she is dragged to the alter, only to have her wedding ceremony interrupted by Mr Rochester's brother-in-law advising that the ceremony cannot be conducted as Mr Rochester was married 15 years previously and remains married.
A devasted Jane is taken to the room where Mr Rochester's mentally unstable wife has been occupying in Mr Rochester's home which is located away from the rest of the household. Only Mr Rochester and one of his servants knew and had access to that room.
Early, the following morning, Jane runs away from Mr Rochester and the life that she once loved but takes ill and ends up on the doorstep of a young minister. The young minister and his sisters nurse her back to health and when she has recovers, she tells them her name is Jane Elliot.
Jane starts a new chapter of her life but still longs for Mr Rochester....
It is a beautiful, moving story of love and the challenges one person has overcome throughout her life and the strength that she finds within herself.
The locations that were used in the film were breathtaking and we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country!
We all managed to leave work at about 10 minutes before close of business so that we could ride in convoy to the cinema. As I didn't know the area, so I drove in the middle and I just relieved that we weren't separated in the traffic.
The cinema is open to the public and one can purchase a membership but it is not part of a chain. It only has one screen and has a lovely feel to the place. There is a bar available that offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as tea, coffee and cake is also available.
The cinema was packed despite Jane Eyre have been on the circuit previously.
We had fantastic luxurious seats in the back row - what a pleasure!!
I have always wanted to read the book but never got a chance and it was never part of my coursework at school but I did have a vague idea of what the story was about.
I was instantly drawn to Jane's character and the strength that she portrayed at such a tender age. Then there is Mr Rochester who is the older, stern man that sees her as his equal despite their age gap. I have to say that I fell in love with Mr Rochester despite his dismissive manner.
I felt myself longing for them to be happy and for Jane not to have any further heartache in her life! Therefore, when she is dragged to the alter, only to have her wedding ceremony interrupted by Mr Rochester's brother-in-law advising that the ceremony cannot be conducted as Mr Rochester was married 15 years previously and remains married.
A devasted Jane is taken to the room where Mr Rochester's mentally unstable wife has been occupying in Mr Rochester's home which is located away from the rest of the household. Only Mr Rochester and one of his servants knew and had access to that room.
Early, the following morning, Jane runs away from Mr Rochester and the life that she once loved but takes ill and ends up on the doorstep of a young minister. The young minister and his sisters nurse her back to health and when she has recovers, she tells them her name is Jane Elliot.
Jane starts a new chapter of her life but still longs for Mr Rochester....
It is a beautiful, moving story of love and the challenges one person has overcome throughout her life and the strength that she finds within herself.
The locations that were used in the film were breathtaking and we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Alicante
A few weeks ago, I attended the Annual Conference in Alicante, Spain. In the past, only the Advisers of the firm attended the conference, however, this time the invite was extended to all the support staff.
We all met up at the East Midlands Airport for our 6.40 am flight to Alicante in the bar.
Once we landed in Spain, it took us about an hour to board the bus that was going to take us to the conference centre. Instantly you could notice the difference in the weather as we left a very wet and cold England and arrived in sunny, dry Spain.
Thank god the conference centre was air-conditioned and we received the warm welcome as we were greeted by a local Spanish lady with refreshments and a fantastic tapas lunch.
So after a long day (as I had been up since 2.00 am), the delegates were transported to the Melia Hotel where our luggage would be waiting for us in our rooms.
Finally after standing in queues waiting to check in, it was my turn - unfortunately, I was not so lucky as I was told that they did not hold a reservation for me under either my Maiden Name nor my Married Name.
Then I suddenly realised that my luggage is missing...I was at breaking point as all I wanted to do was go to my room, have a shower and a quick nap. There was 3 of us that were in the same boat.
After about an 1 hour, it turned out that my luggage was in my room but the Spanish were unable to spell my Married Name so created a new surname for me.
Once I arrived in my room, I discovered that not only did I have my own luggage but I also had someone else's luggage as well - plus my room was, in fact, an Executive Suite with a private bar for all the guests on that floor, jacuzzi bath/shower with a free mini bar. The view was incredible as I looked out on to the beach and the castle on the hill.
So after a long overdue bath in my jacuzzi bath, I joined my colleagues at the Buffet Dinner only an 1 hour and half late so I missed the pre-dinner drinks and the speeches.
After a delicious dinner, a few of us decided that we would go out for a night on the town and headed to the Coyote Bar for a bit of dancing and plenty of drinks were flowing.
At about 3 am, a few of us were keen to go to the Casino but when we got to the Casino we were told that we required some form of identification so we had to return to the hotel to get our passports.
My one of my bosses decided that he would run down the corridors of our hotel floor and knock on random doors hoping that I wouldn't notice him doing this and when the people opened their doors, they would think it was me but I quickly realised what he was doing so I immediately started run after him so that I won't be caught.
However, some of my colleagues hadn't noticed what he was doing and when they walked down the corridor, a couple of the guests shouted at them.
We spent about an hour at the Casino on the Roulette and Black Jack tables. I don't mind gambling but I also don't like to lose so I only play with 10 Euros.
After the Casino, a few of us decided to go to a nightclub, as we weren't quite ready for bed.
By the time, we stumbled to the hotel, it was about 5.30 am.
Earlier in the evening, I was told that if I didn't want to go to the conference on the 2nd day, I could relax and do what I like so when I woke up, I joined one of our Advisers on the beach as he was suffering from a major hangover. However, before joining my colleague on the beach, I did get a chance to have breakfast in bed....nothing better than having someone to bring you breakfast in bed.
After a few hours on the beach, I returned to my hotel room to do some work and then spend the rest of the afternoon pampering myself for the gala dinner.
The gala dinner was at a different location so we decided to all meet up in the private bar for drinks prior to getting on the buses. By the time, the rest of us met up, you could see who were still suffering from the previous night's antics. However, I was feeling on top form despite only having a few hours of sleep.
Once we arrived at the gala dinner, it looked like we had stepped out on a set from a James Bond movie. The dinner was held out under the stars in front of the restaurant and we were not far from the water's edge. It was a beautiful evening and I managed to watch the sunset as the moon rose from behind mountains. It was a perfect setting.
The 14 of us were split across 2 tables and I was definitely on the table that had more fun as the conversations were very revealing in a cheeky / naughty manner - definitely a good icebreaker for all of us as we had other people on our table that we did not necessarily see or speak to on a daily basis.
After the gala dinner, we returned to the hotel but decided that the night was still young so we went to the Coyote Bar. One of the Advisers decided to jump on one of the tables and dance but the foot of the table gave away and he landed with his nose on the beer bottle - luckily he didn't break any bones or get glass in his eyes but he did have a rather ghastly gash on his nose so there was blood everywhere.
At 4 am, I decided that I needed to go back to the hotel and pack my case and get some rest as we were going to check out at 12 pm that day.
I woke up at 11 am and missed breakfast but managed to get my stuff together and check out by 12 pm.
We spent the rest of the day having a relaxing paella lunch at a restaurant that overlooks the harbour. After lunch, we did our only thing, some went to the beach, others went for a walk.
Our flight was only at 9 pm so we had a leisurely day in Alicante and then a bit of rush to the airport but all of us made in one piece and boarded our flight.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip and I am hoping that we will have another opportunity next year!
We all met up at the East Midlands Airport for our 6.40 am flight to Alicante in the bar.
Once we landed in Spain, it took us about an hour to board the bus that was going to take us to the conference centre. Instantly you could notice the difference in the weather as we left a very wet and cold England and arrived in sunny, dry Spain.
Thank god the conference centre was air-conditioned and we received the warm welcome as we were greeted by a local Spanish lady with refreshments and a fantastic tapas lunch.
So after a long day (as I had been up since 2.00 am), the delegates were transported to the Melia Hotel where our luggage would be waiting for us in our rooms.
Finally after standing in queues waiting to check in, it was my turn - unfortunately, I was not so lucky as I was told that they did not hold a reservation for me under either my Maiden Name nor my Married Name.
Then I suddenly realised that my luggage is missing...I was at breaking point as all I wanted to do was go to my room, have a shower and a quick nap. There was 3 of us that were in the same boat.
After about an 1 hour, it turned out that my luggage was in my room but the Spanish were unable to spell my Married Name so created a new surname for me.
Once I arrived in my room, I discovered that not only did I have my own luggage but I also had someone else's luggage as well - plus my room was, in fact, an Executive Suite with a private bar for all the guests on that floor, jacuzzi bath/shower with a free mini bar. The view was incredible as I looked out on to the beach and the castle on the hill.
So after a long overdue bath in my jacuzzi bath, I joined my colleagues at the Buffet Dinner only an 1 hour and half late so I missed the pre-dinner drinks and the speeches.
After a delicious dinner, a few of us decided that we would go out for a night on the town and headed to the Coyote Bar for a bit of dancing and plenty of drinks were flowing.
At about 3 am, a few of us were keen to go to the Casino but when we got to the Casino we were told that we required some form of identification so we had to return to the hotel to get our passports.
My one of my bosses decided that he would run down the corridors of our hotel floor and knock on random doors hoping that I wouldn't notice him doing this and when the people opened their doors, they would think it was me but I quickly realised what he was doing so I immediately started run after him so that I won't be caught.
However, some of my colleagues hadn't noticed what he was doing and when they walked down the corridor, a couple of the guests shouted at them.
We spent about an hour at the Casino on the Roulette and Black Jack tables. I don't mind gambling but I also don't like to lose so I only play with 10 Euros.
After the Casino, a few of us decided to go to a nightclub, as we weren't quite ready for bed.
By the time, we stumbled to the hotel, it was about 5.30 am.
Earlier in the evening, I was told that if I didn't want to go to the conference on the 2nd day, I could relax and do what I like so when I woke up, I joined one of our Advisers on the beach as he was suffering from a major hangover. However, before joining my colleague on the beach, I did get a chance to have breakfast in bed....nothing better than having someone to bring you breakfast in bed.
After a few hours on the beach, I returned to my hotel room to do some work and then spend the rest of the afternoon pampering myself for the gala dinner.
The gala dinner was at a different location so we decided to all meet up in the private bar for drinks prior to getting on the buses. By the time, the rest of us met up, you could see who were still suffering from the previous night's antics. However, I was feeling on top form despite only having a few hours of sleep.
Once we arrived at the gala dinner, it looked like we had stepped out on a set from a James Bond movie. The dinner was held out under the stars in front of the restaurant and we were not far from the water's edge. It was a beautiful evening and I managed to watch the sunset as the moon rose from behind mountains. It was a perfect setting.
The 14 of us were split across 2 tables and I was definitely on the table that had more fun as the conversations were very revealing in a cheeky / naughty manner - definitely a good icebreaker for all of us as we had other people on our table that we did not necessarily see or speak to on a daily basis.
After the gala dinner, we returned to the hotel but decided that the night was still young so we went to the Coyote Bar. One of the Advisers decided to jump on one of the tables and dance but the foot of the table gave away and he landed with his nose on the beer bottle - luckily he didn't break any bones or get glass in his eyes but he did have a rather ghastly gash on his nose so there was blood everywhere.
At 4 am, I decided that I needed to go back to the hotel and pack my case and get some rest as we were going to check out at 12 pm that day.
I woke up at 11 am and missed breakfast but managed to get my stuff together and check out by 12 pm.
We spent the rest of the day having a relaxing paella lunch at a restaurant that overlooks the harbour. After lunch, we did our only thing, some went to the beach, others went for a walk.
Our flight was only at 9 pm so we had a leisurely day in Alicante and then a bit of rush to the airport but all of us made in one piece and boarded our flight.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip and I am hoping that we will have another opportunity next year!
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