Wednesday 18 September 2013

52 Weeks Of Happy - 39/52


Some simple happy things from my week. Joining in with Jen












Watching & Waiting

Since the boys have gone back to school, my routine has become a little more leisurely. Olly asks daily "What are we doing today, Mummy?" and a plan is made. We make time every day to do something fun. It  usually involves a walk of some sort. He is at nursery on Wednesdays, and my walk takes longer. I have found I stop lots. I look and see. I wait for things to unfold. It may be that I watch an insect. Or the kite surfers throwing themselves up in the air. This morning I watched the rain come in. It gives me great happiness to slow right down and take it all in.

Simple Bakes

My boys are not impressed with frou frou. They spurn the fancy cupcake. They baulk at swirls of cream and frothy meringue. Simple plain bakes. That's what floats their boat. Plain flapjacks. Lemon (with a hint of drizzle) cake. Oatmeal (without the raisin or cinnamon) cookies. Olly and I made lots of these yesterday. They went down very well. The biscuits are very good tea dunkers too.

Bramble Jelly

We are awash with Blackberries here. This is my first attempt at Bramble Jelly. I had to strain the berries through a pair of 40 denier tights! It did the trick though. I followed this recipe. I have a bit of a geek crush for Hugh. Easy peasy to do, but untold pleasure at the result. These mark the start of my homemade Christmas presents. I'm thinking little foodie hampers and a framed photograph of my own taking. What do you think?

Ikea

Living here is very nearly perfect. If I was to ask for anything else, it would be an Ikea. My friend Nina graciously let me take this catalogue home with me. "I'm all Ikea'd out at the moment," she said. How can that be, I thought. She's Norwegian too. If there was one near me, I'd practically live there. It would be my go to happy place. Although I do have a dim memory of Brent Cross Ikea, a thumping hangover, hordes of people, tripping over a Lack occasional table and getting to the warehouse to discover that what I wanted wasn't in stock. Again.....

That's the happy.

I'm off to tidy up a friends garden. Ironic really, as my own one is a disgrace.

Leanne xxx



10 comments:

  1. Some glorious happies and thanks for putting a smile on my dial. Your first photo is simply wonderful and it embraces my heartstrings. My kids are the same, plain and simple and nothing fussy, but to be honest, we like those best too! Well done for making bramble jelly, it is quite an operation and I think a foodie hamper will make a great gift. My gift to friends every year is always christmas chutney and it has become such a ritual that they start asking whether I am doing it months in advance as I won't be let off the hook (thinking of which better get mi backside in gear!). Food is always good at Christmas as it can be enjoyed and it will be used, which is better than clogging up an old cupboard. Enjoy the gardening, I need a friend like you around here :-). xoxo

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  2. beautiful happy moments especially the slowing down and taking it all in on a walk near the sea! How i envy you that! As for me no sea....but ikea about 20 minutes away! (i still would swap any day!) thank you for the kind note on my new header, its the only feedback ive got and iv'e been wondering what people think! have a gorgeous rest of your week my lovely xxxxx

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  3. Lovely happies. I wish we had IKEA here too. The nearest ones are in Texas or Colorado, I think, none in our state at all. I do love to look at their website, and have ordered some things that way.

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  4. I too have a geek rush on Mr FW!

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  5. The light looks wonderful by the River Hayle, hope you avoided the dark clouds. Hugh is just as friendly and down to earth as he appears on the TV. I sat next to him at lunch once!
    Your hamper idea sounds wonderful, I'm sure Olly will help you to. Your IKEA catologue reminds me I haven't done my annual visit there!
    Sarah x

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  6. Ah Ikea. I went just last week and made a little bookcase. While I was there I was so overwhelmed by all of the stuff I almost forgot what I was supposed to be looking for. Lovely cakes, yum. I made bramble jelly last year with some complicated contraption for straining involving an upside down kitchen stool and lots of bowls. How it didn't fall down overnight I will never know. Love, love, love that first photo. Beautiful. My garden is a disgrace too. Ditto the allotment.

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  7. Loving your Happies this week! Great idea doing homemade hampers for gifts. Love that! I sympathise with you on the IKEA front! We have to drive 4 hours, then hop on a Ferry for 10 hours to reach the nearest IKEA in Melbourne over on the Mainland - when I found out I was having Twins my Husband made the IKEA voyage across and filled the car up with supplies! Have a lovely week. Mel x

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  8. Like the hamper idea for gifts. The IKEA catalogue made me laugh .....I downloaded the free App for it just yesterday morning and spent a pleasant hour having a good look through. We have one in Bordeaux ,about an hour and a half away,but I usually go to the Southampton one when I'm over on the south coast visiting my Mum.
    My memorable visit to Brent Cross IKEA was after a pre-op appointment the week I was having laser eye surgery in London....couldn't read any of the price tags as I'd had weird drops put in which lured my vision.Still couldnt pass up the opportunity for a visit though ;)

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  9. ...sorry , that should be ' blurred my vision ' !

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  10. I love your hamper idea and the jelly looks fantastic. I made flapjacks this week - a plain bake that the kids and I love. Our IKEA is 15 mins away. I am spoilt, I go there loads (sometimes just for the meatballs) and whenever I start daydreaming about my rural/coastal cottage I conveniently forget that IKEA will be 3 hours away... xx

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