january round up

January is very much the Monday of the Months isnt it?  Kind of a "grit your teeth and get on with it" month.  Typically its when healthy eating plans start after the over eating of Christmas, the weather is dark, cold and rubbish and Spring still seems so far away!  Its not nice but you know you have to get through it and hopefully, be rewarded with maybe a nicer February.

Speaking of weather, I can honestly say I've never seen so much rain in all my life.  I don't ever remember there being rainy day after rainy day after rainy day plus infinity!!  I'm very much a sunny day, blue sky kinda gal (who isn't?!) and all this dark grey cloudy stuff makes me want to hibernate.

If only January looked this pretty!

So what have I been up to this month?

Been busy booking shows and stalls at lots of local dog shows and farmers markets for Little Paws Dogs Bakery.  The summer will be very busy for me and my little business partner! 

I joined Slimming World and started running again.  I've not been out as much as I'd like but have managed at least two runs a week which is a start!  I've had two weekends away in January though so my weight loss on the scales isn't as much as I'd hoped.  However, I'm happy with the way its going and feel better which in my opinion, is more important that the figure on the old sad step!

Been doing lots of planning for my allotment.  Not much else I can do at the moment because its just too wet to do anything else.  I'm sure the weeds are probably knee high by now but I'll be doing more damage than good by treading all over soaking wet soil so for now, I'm enjoying looking through my seed catalouges and planning what I'm going to be doing.  Lets not forget, I'm a complete novice at this so in my mind, I can't do enough planning and research.  I'm part of quite a few allotment groups on Facebook too which have been very useful in the learning process!

I've also been doing some research ready for the end of the month when I go away for my birthday!! With my birthday the last day of the month, it seems only right to celebrate getting through a horrible month and my birthday!  Mr B has excelled himself this year and for my birthday we are going here....

Bourton on the Water in the beautiful Cotswolds.  Have you ever seen such a perfect looking village??  I'm so excited, two nights in The Lake House, just me and Mr B.  As much as I love my little B's even this momma needs some time away to eat a meal/drink coffee/walk around without someone whinging/crying/asking for something!  Will update when we're back with some lovely photos.

So, that was my January!  I'm hoping, with fingers and toes crossed, that February will at least be drier, that's all I ask.

Thanks for reading!  I hope January was good to you :)

Love Mrs B xx

and so it begins.....

I've done it again.  I've become a member of Slimming World....not for the first time, I hasten to add!

Love food?  Yup thats me!

I joined Slimming World back last year (maybe October time) but for one reason and another didn't stick to it.  I think I might have been a bear in a former life, or some sort of hibernating animal, because I firmly believe my body goes into some kind of survival mode when the nights get darker and all I want to do is eat!  My will power is set to zero and inevitably the pounds pile on.  I get more and more tired and my motivation to exercise is severely lacking and generally I'm an unhealthy mess.

Always my go to meal, a good old grill up!

Another thing that made me want to join a Slimming World group was that I want to make time for myself!  I spend all day cleaning, thinking, doing for other people (not that I begrudge this....its my job as mummy and homemaker after all!) maybe taking an hour out to concentrate on myself is not a bad thing.  The group is a lovely group full of enthusiasm and good ideas as well as recipes that I cant wait to try!  

You can eat all that....every single scrap!

So, turns out I've put on nearly a stone since my wedding last year....which, without going into the finer details, means I have a good three stone to lose.  My first target though is to get back under the stone bracket I'm in right now, which means losing 6lb.  I can so do it!!  I've a few obstacles coming up, my nieces birthday party this weekend, my birthday weekend away the following weekend, meal out with the mums the weekend after....its going to be tough!  Tough, but not impossible so.....wish me luck!!

I'd love to know your favourite Slimming World recipe.  I know lots of you have them!  I'm hoping to share a few on my lil' old blog in the near future as and when I come across them.

Thanks for reading! 

Love Mrs B xx

ten things that make me happy

Hello Blog Friends!

So apparently, today is the most depressing day of the year according to the wonderful media here in the UK (I'd actually love to know when the happiest day of the year is, but I don't remember that being reported!)  I can understand it though, the weathers crap, has been for ages and looks like its going to be for the forseeable.  Moneys tight, Christmas takes its toll and January always seems to be a really long month wage wise (especially so here in the Bowler Household!).  A lot of people are also either drying out from Christmas or starting new healthy eating plans in January too, which can only add to the doom and gloom of the month!  

However, I decided not to go with the (downward) flow today and focus on the good points, of which there are many!  So, here are my ten reasons to be happy, when everyone's trying to make you blue!!

1. My Girls

The main reason I function every day is so they are happy and healthy, and guess what? They are exactly that!  Yes they have tantrums and can test my patience to the very last thread but they're clean, healthy, well fed, have everything they want (within my power, I'm working on the pony!)   

2. My Home

Ok so this one may be a given but I watched/read a few things about homeless people living on the streets over the Christmas holidays.  Apparently you're only three paychecks away from being homeless.  I'm lucky I'd never be in that situation as I have family I've no doubt would take me in, but what if I didn't?  There were many families facing doubt over their homes and I'm so so lucky Mr B works so hard to keep the roof over our heads.

Flowers from my wonderful husband always cheer me up

3. My Husband
That leads me nicely onto number three, my husband.  He works so hard for this family, gives us everything we want/need and I'm so so grateful.  Because he works so hard I'm able to stay at home with my girls and be a stay at home mum, look after our home and I consider myself so lucky to be able to do that.

4. My Fur Baby
If ever I'm having a bad day, or I'm finding it hard to get out of a funky mood, you know whats best for that??!  Coming home and being greeted by a waggy tail!  He's my shadow (asleep on my feet as I type) and I love him so much!

Who wouldn't love that face!??

5. My Hobbies

Whilst I've not actually started planting yet, I'm really enjoying planning what I'm going to grow this year, learning about how to grow stuff, I'm almost enjoying it almost as much as 

6. This......

Waking up in the morning and seeing this.....love a sunset, love a sunrise, love seeing the sun and the blue sky.  Never fails to cheer me up.

And if all else fails.....

Chocolate and lots of it!!  I take no shame in resorting to a bar of Dairy Milk or two to get me through a particularly bad day :-)

So, if you were feeling blue, I hope a little insight into what makes me happy has made you think maybe there's a lot to be happy about!

Thanks for reading!

Love Mrs B xx

happy new year & my goals for the year

Hello and Happy New Year!  

We've had a wonderful New Year in London with my family.  No mad parties and drinking, just games with the kids and a few (slightly competitive!) adult ones! 

Some people love resolutions, some people loathe them.   Some people think you should strive towards goals all year round and not just make them at new year, which I guess is partly true!  I like to make goals, I like to think about the year ahead and how I want it to look.  So whilst I dont make resolutions as such (although lose a few pounds should probably be one!) I do like to have a plan and more importantly, make a list, if only for the simple reason of being able to check things off that list at the end of the year!

1. Make more time for my crafty hobbies

I've got so many projects I started last year but didn't finish because the dishes needed doing, or the hoovering needed to be done or I felt like I should be doing something more important.  Well guess what, the dishes still need doing, the hoovering gets done every day regardless and I still haven't got any time for my crafty projects!!  So I'm going to set aside maybe one day a week where I will have a few hours craft time.  I've bought a Christmas cross stitch I never started, maybe I'll get it done in time for next Christmas.

2. Be better with cards and birthdays

It's a really bad habit of mine.  I buy cards, sometimes I'll even write them, then they stay on my worktop in the kitchen.  I don't know what happens but something in my brain fails to register that they need to go in the post box!  So I'm making it a goal that I send all cards, on time this year!

3. Grow all my own veg for Christmas

You might have read that I recently got the keys to my own allotment plot.  Its long been a goal of mine to grow my own veg and have dabble with a few strawberry plants, some tomatoes and herbs in my own garden.  I now have a whole half a plot and my aim is to plan and grow enough veg for my Christmas dinner next year for me and my family.  I'd better get planning!

4. Start a small business

I'm a bit of a serial small business starter!  I've had quite a few small businesses over the last five years or so including an online fabric shop and an ironing business which for one reason or another I don't do anymore.  However I miss having a focus and the drive that a small business gives you.  I miss the planning and organising.  My oldest little one has come up with a good idea we're looking into a bit more so watch this space I guess!

5. Grow my own peonies and David Austin Roses
Ok so similar to the grow my own veg one, but I am so bad at growing flowers!  I don't know what I do to them, they just don't like me!  I'm hoping I'll have more luck when I start a small flower patch at the allotment but peonies are my favourite of all time and David Austin roses are so beautiful, I have to give them a go.  I may fail, but I'm going to try!!

If my peonies are half as pretty as this I'll be happy! 

I think that's a reasonable number of goals for one year, I may add to them as the year goes on but those are the things I would definitely like to achieve in 2016.  Do you have any goals?  Or are you more a resolution maker?

Thanks for reading!

Love Mrs B xx