Falling in to Autumn

So even though the weather people are forecasting higher temperatures by the weekend, we'd be kidding ourselves by thinking that we're not falling in to Autumn.

It's dark when wake up, and peeling the duvet off and crawling out of bed is getting harder and harder...the only thing that encourages the swift run downstairs is the promise of the boiler turning on and hot coffee.

The tiny human even needed encouragement to get out of bed today.

But with the dark, wet and cold mornings come all sorts of wonderful autumnal things that I cannot wait for...here's a random list of the stuff I'm excited about over the next 6 weeks (before I can get properly excited about Christmas)!

1. Clear cold blue skies, crunchy leaves and long bundled up walks
2. Pumpkin everything (pie, pancakes, muffins, cookies, cakes, coffee, beer...everything)
3. Two Thanksgivings (one of the benefits of being half Canadian and half American)
4. Regular roast dinners and long Sunday lunches...(one of the benefits of being married to a Brit and living in the UK)
5. Puddle jumping with the tiny human - his excitement is contagious
6. Big cozy sweaters and BOOTS!
7.  Lots of hot drinks, mulled wine, winter Pimms, coffee, tea, big mugs of steaming yummy
8. Open fires - second year with real fireplaces in our house...can't wait!
9. Halloween - costumes, pumpkin carving, decorating the house and lots of candy
10. Visiting the pumpkin patch
11. Sofa snuggles with books and blankets
12. Pub lunches after long walks
13. The CROCKPOT!
14. Crafting
15. Lots and lots of red wine 

What are you excited about this Autumn?

a xxx

Five years

So I’m doing that #fmsphotoaday thing from Fat Mom Slim as a reminder mostly to be looking out for things as I’m rushing to work, from work, on errands, around the house…rushing rushing rushing. It’s a word or phrase a day that reminds me to really slow down a little and look at things more.

Yesterday’s picture was ‘five years ago’…and it amazed me to think that five years ago I was freshly deported from the UK due to losing my job and as a result my visa. The recession (at least in London) was in full swing and I was 4,707 miles away from my fiancé. My life was in total turmoil. I was miserable and exited, sad to be away from London and happy to be home, I was separated from my life in London and my future husband…and also planning our wedding and our future together. It was a weird time for me.

Five years later feels like no time and tons of time has passed. I’m married (twice…to the same man), have a tiny human I’m responsible for, have changed jobs twice and bought a house to name a few things!  

I’m bad at ‘reflecting’ – at looking back…I’m so focused on forward, it is something I think I should take time to do more of.

a xxx