Weekly Update!

Festive Festivities, Leamington & Curry!

This was the first of two weeks off, and contained Christmas, so was a pretty good week! On Monday my new sofas were delivered, which look really cool, and on Tuesday I dragged myself to the gym for a final spinning class before time off for the festive period, and then dyed my hair nice and red. In the evening after a tasty buffet tea with the family, Mo and I went to James and Kelly's for some predrinks and nibbles, and then we met everyone that was home in Piccolino's for some celebratory drinks, followed by Hogans before going home to sleep ready for the big day!

Christmas day was lovely (I won't witter on as the previous post is all about it!) and on Boxing Day we drove through to Yorkshire for a couple of days at my Grandparents house. All the family were there, and we had a massive buffet and opened all our presents, then Mo, Jas and I went to a little pub called The Rose & Crown in nearby Hornsea and got very drunk! It was packed and had a dancefloor and was playing some tunes - a great end to the day.

The following day I felt a bit ropey, but after some food perked up, and drove home at 3pm. We literally repacked bags and then drove to Leamington for a night with friends there. We played Articulate and drank again, and then had sausage sandwiches before leaving the next morning.

Yesterday it took us 3 1/2 hours to get home, so when we did we lounged around at Mo's for most of the rest of the day, and then went for a really good curry at the Shere Khan in Rusholme. I had a king prawn handi which had huge prawns in, and got a chapatti to dip in it. After so much English food, it was nice to have something a bit more cultured. We started watcing Breaking Bad afterwards, so good, I'm hooked already!

Today has been spent being lazy again, catching up on stuff that was neglected over Christmas (like blogging!) and we watched Don Jon which was a good view, as well as lots of Breaking Bad. An early night and detox is definitely required after so much gluttony!

Christmas!

Timperley

Yesterday was, of course, Christmas Day, and what a great one it was this year! For the first time in forever, we all had the whole day off, and Mo spent the day with us as well. Jasmine and I had been out on Christmas Eve, so weren't too fresh in the morning, but we still managed to wake up at 9am, and open our presents on the end of Mum and Dad's bed (never too old for tradition!). Mo joined us afterwards so managed to score a lie in, and we had eggs Benedict and Bucks Fizz for breakfast.

After we had got changed into some nice clothes, we opened a present each as we were a bit pushed for time, and then went for a walk to The Old Hall in Timperley for a drink and to see some family friends. We stayed for an hour and then walked back, ready to open the rest of our presents. I got some lovely things, including a Vivienne Westwood watch, a gorgeous White Company candle and some John Lewis vouchers from my employers, makeup, money, chocolates and lots of stuff for the flat - I felt like a very lucky girl! I also got a 50s style dress apron and some silver hammered rings from Mo, and he liked his presents from me, so it was a good day all round.

After the presents we all sat down for a full Christmas dinner, this year we had gone for a four bird roast, and it was amazing! We had Christmas pudding for dessert, and then spent the evening getting drunk and playing games which were so much fun with everyone there. As we are travelling to my grandparents today we didn't stay up too late, and we were asleep by midnight. It was genuinely one of my best Christmases yet!

Flat Part 1!

Progress

After feeling helpless all last week, having the keys to my flat at my disposal yet not having flooring etc to put down, this week has been great in terms of progress, and the place is finally starting to feel like a real home. Over the weekend the carpets were all fitted, turning cold, unwelcoming rooms into liveable spaces, and yesterday my sofas arrived, which I am absolutely thrilled with, they are a great feature to the room as they are a bold colour, yet don't look too OTT.

Despite the lack of furniture, I still put up a Christmas tree to get into the spirit of things, but I am very much looking forward to a proper effort next year when I am actually living in it. 

Both bathrooms floors have been tiled, and are just waiting to be grouted, so I have been able to start moving some of my stuff into the flat so it is done in stages and not one mammoth haul.

After Christmas I am expecting my fridge, and will be ordering wardrobes, a TV, and putting my bed together, as well as painting my bedroom and wallpapering the hallway. I can't wait to get on with it all in my two weeks off!

Weekly Update!

Bailey's & Back to Basics!

This week has been another busy one, as I had Uma to entertain again. Luckily on Monday she wasn't due to be picked up until 3pm, so I had chance to get my bed delivered as planned. I stayed at Mo's in the evening and on Tuesday I babysat and it was Aum's nativity play (see previous post). 

On Wednesday after work Dad, Jas and I went to Manchester's Christmas Markets, which were brilliant as ever. We had raspberry mulled wine, bratwurst, and these amazing things that were a brandy snap basket containing a moulded chocolate cup of Bailey's covered in whipped cream with a wafer in - delicious! Afterwards we went for a cocktail in Alchemist as a treat from Dad; I had one that tasted of parma violets and had foam on top, Jasmine's was served in conical flasks and changed colour when you mixed the two, and Dad's had a mini stove to pop popcorn on, which was then added to the top of his drink!

On Thursday Aum finished school at 12pm, so we had cake from Cake Gallery (carrot cake for me) and then went to see Frozen at Parrs Wood (see previous post). Friday was my last day at work before two weeks off, and in the evening all the girls came to the flat for a sleepover, complete with nibbles, Secret Santa and Christmas music. We had a few glasses of prosecco, chatted and had a giggle - was really nice to get everyone together for what we worked out was the first time in a year. Luckily just in time the living room floor was fitted, so we didn't quite have to sleep on concrete, but it was very basic, with wrapping paper as curtains, and no furniture except air beds!

On Saturday I spent the day organising things and then went to see Mo for a couple of hours before going out in Manchester with the girls. We all dressed up and had predrinks at Tasha's new house, then got a taxi into town where we went to Manchester House (a very swanky bar atop a tower block with amazing views of the city) and Neighbourhood. Today I have been very lazy - with no work tomorrow motivation is very low, so I had takeout pizza for lunch and stayed in pyjamas at Mo's all day!

Winter Views...

Frozen - 4 stars ****

On Thursday, I took Aum and his cousin Uma to see Frozen at the cinema. I have taken him to see quite a lot of films whilst being his nanny, and though a few have been really good (Brave, Happy Feet 2), there is also a lot of utter crap that kids watch (Planes)! I had heard good things about Frozen though, so went in with an open mind.

The first thing I noticed was how it was like the more old school Disney films - lots of songs, princesses in a castle, a bit of comedy - the one main difference is the ending, but I'll save that until later. The story is about two sisters, Elsa and Anna. Anna was born with the power to create snow and ice, and as the doting younger sister, Elsa is fascinated by her talent. However, she is not in complete control of her magic, and a mishap whilst they are playing results in an accident, leaving Elsa nearly dead when an ice spell goes through her head. She is saved by magic goblin creatures, but her parents vow that Anna's powers must be hidden to keep her safe, so have all Elsa's memory wiped, except those of her childhood memories of playing with her sister. Anna is then locked away and forbidden from seeing her, much to the confusion of Elsa, who has no idea what she has done to deserve such hostility from the sister she loves so much.

Years pass, and the girl's parents die tragically, leaving Elsa more lonely than ever. She counts down the days until her sister is of age and can be crowned queen, in the hope that they will be reunited. The day arrives, and finally the pair reconcile their differences; until Elsa meets Prince Hans that she 'falls in love' with, and rashly decides to marry. Her immaturity riles Anna, and causes her to reveal her power to the kingdom by accident in her anger, creating chaos when the townsfolk think she is an evil witch. Scared, she runs away to the mountains and creates an ice castle, where she hides, knowing that she cannot hurt anyone there (This part was my favourite, the visuals when she creates the castle are amazing, and accompanied by a brilliant power ballad!).

Elsa then goes on a quest to find Anna and return her to the throne, joined by Sven the reindeer, Kristoff, a trader of ice, and Olaf, a very amusing snowman that the girls made as children who has come to life. They are beset by various trials along the way, including Elsa being struck through the heart with an ice spell, which proves fatal if not met by an act of true love. Kristoff has since fallen in love with Elsa, but it is unrequited as she is still besotted with Hans. Worried, they race back to him, and Kristoff and Sven leave for home, only for the audience to find out that he has tricked them all and only wants the throne for himself. He chains up Anna, and eventually Elsa turns to a statue of ice. 

This is where the difference is. In normal Disney films, this would be where Kristoff rocks up, kisses her and they both live happily ever after. However, this time, it is the tears of Anna crying over the death of her sister that bring her back to life - an act of true love. As an older sister myself, I couldn't cope with this, and was bawling like a baby, which had to be swiftly covered up in front of the two kids I was with! 

I would really recommend this as an all round family film, it has a love story, comedy characters, good songs, amazing cinamatography, a fiesty heroine, and an absolute babe in the form of Anna, who is my favourite Disney princess EVER. Go see!

Winter Performances...

Aum's Nativity!

Last night was Aum's nativity play at school. It was held at Wythenshawe Forum, where it takes place every year due to the high number of parents and family that turn up. The school are split up into two groups - the infants (aged 4-7) and juniors (aged 7-11). 

Traditionally, the infants do a play based around the normal Christmas story, whilst the junior branch out into musical theatre - last year they performed Les Miserables, after the success of the film released that year.

This year, Aum took centre stage as Joseph (although he still complained as he only had 4 lines!) and it told the tale of an angel who only had little wings, so couldn't keep up with the rest of the party travelling to see the birth of Jesus. Following three acts of kindness, she was given big wings by the head angel, and flew to Bethlehem to see the new king.

The juniors performed a piece where two enemy tribes lived on opposite sides of a river, and they were forced to join forces when a TV crew descended upon their land to make a documentary. It had performances from some very talented individuals, in particular 11 year old Amy Waterson was magnificent, singing a solo piece in front of what must have been at least 200 people.

I always love watching the kids from school have fun on stage, and it is great near Christmas to get a bit of festive spirit going with all the parents and staff supporting them. A thoroughly  enjoyable night out! 

Weekly Update!

Moose, Giraffe & Blackdog! 

This week was supposed to start with a meeting at the new flat, but as usual it is still running behind time, so I went for a coffee with Abi instead. I got to finish work a little early, so went to Mo's as he'd had the day off work. We had moussaka for tea and watched Alpha Papa, the latest Steve Coogan film, which was really good. For the whole of this week I have had Aum's cousin Uma to look after as she has finished for Christmas already, which though it has stopped me getting jobs done and going to the gym, it has been quite nice having another girl around. 

On Tuesday I took her for lunch at the Cake Gallery, where we both had tomato and basil soup with bread, and I got a slice of lemon drizzle cake for dessert. In the evening we went to the Country Club for a swim whilst Aum had his lesson, then ate there as usual. They have just introduced a new menu (prices have gone up a little, but then it was very cheap to begin with!) so I tried the Black Dragon sushi roll (Tempura crab, snow crab delight, cucumber, avocado and eel), which was up to the usual high standard, and it is great that they have new dishes just as I was starting to exhaust them!

On Wednesday I went to the new bar in Hale, Moose, with the girls (see previous post) and on Thursday I braved the Trafford Centre with Uma for some Christmas shopping. We had lunch in Giraffe, I chose the chicken nacho burger which was really good value and a great portion size for a bite at lunch. Friday was an exciting day as I finally got the keys to my flat - expect constant updates now! - and in the evening I babysat until 1.30am as it was Mo and Anjali's Christmas party.  

On Saturday I was up bright and early to have my tiles fitted in my bathrooms, it took all day but they look awesome and were worth being stuck in a flat with no entertainment for a few hours (the rest of the time was spent at IKEA with Mum). In the evening I went to Mo's for a house party his flatmate was throwing for Christmas, and we went out to Blackdog Ballroom afterwards, not that I can remember! Sunday was spent recovering with Rusholme takeaway and Iceland party nibbles!

Candid Article 43

Hako Winter Sale

For my latest piece on Ukrainian online store Hako, click here:

http://candidonline.com/store-focus-hako/

Nights Out...

Moose, Hale

Last night I went out with the girls to a new bar that has opened in Hale. It is a town we go out in quite a lot, so it is always nice to see new places open up, we are always up for sampling a new venue!

It is a wine bar like many of the other bars in the area, but it has a cosy, homely feel, with a log fire and comfy armchairs downstairs, and leather booths opposite the bar upstairs. It does food, and has taken an interesting direction by serving only cold pies - we were given a sample of a pork and black pudding one, which was nice, but nothing special. We didn't actually order any food though, sticking just to wine. There were five of us so we got two bottles of Chardonnay, the second to cheapest on the menu. It was a good bottle, and reasonably priced at £17 apiece. 

It is alpine themed inside, as well as the log fire, there are moose heads on the walls, and a mountain scene as you walk down the stairs, very Sound of Music-esque. The stairs and doors are raw unvarnished wood, and floors left bare and covered with rugs, in a style very similar to that inside a traditional a ski chalet. 

It was fairly quiet on the night we were there, but I can imagine it getting pretty crowded on a weekend, as especially upstairs it is a very small area. They have live music on a Friday and Saturday night, so I look forward to sampling a bit of 'apres-ski' again soon!

Weekly Update!

Brunch, Bags & Babysitting!

Monday started with a yoga class, which was really relaxing and chilled me out ready to get on with my week. I met Abi for brunch at the Country Club on Tuesday after doing a spinning class - I had waffles with maple syrup and summer berries, which was a lovely reward after a workout... and when I got home my new Diane Von Furstenburg handbag had arrived; officially in love!

I ate there in the evening with Aum as well, I had pan fried sea bass with a sunblush tomato and chorizo chutney and crisp basil. I didn't really know what to expect from the basil, but it was literally like hard crisps on top of the dish, pretty unusual! The sea bass was perfectly cooked and went really well with the chutney, not something I would have thought to put together.

On Wednesday I had my hair cut (see previous post) and then met Mo for a coffee, as well as staying at his in the evening. Thursday and Friday were spent babysitting, and then on Saturday after a chilled out day dying my hair, I drove to Leeds for Jasmines 21st. We predrank at hers and then went out to Control, which was lots of fun from what I can remember!

Today I have been pretty hungover, but this afternoon Mum and Dad came to meet us in Leeds and we went for a meal at Cafe Rouge (see previous post). I have just had to drive home to Mo's, which was much more of a chore when very tired! Cup of tea and an early night for me I think.

New Tastes...

Cafe Rouge Take 2!

Today I went to Cafe Rouge in Leeds with Mum, Dad and Jasmine to celebrate Jas' 21st. We had £80 worth of Tesco vouchers to spend on food, so had a great feast of treats!

We started with some drinks, I got the citron presse which looks quite scientific when it arrives - it has one bottle of cloudy lemon concentrate, and another with a silver nozzle that is spring water, and you mix the two together in your glass to taste. Jasmine just got a coke, and Mum and Dad shared a bottle of house red wine.

For starter we got the sharing platter that Mo and I shared last time,  which is a mixed selection of meats, cheeses, olives and bread with dips, as well as breaded mini camembert and chilli king prawns. It was gone in a matter of minutes as we were all really hungry, the prawns had quite a kick and the cranberry syrup that came with the cheese was delicious.

Next came our mains, I got poulet Breton, which is chicken breast in a creamy mushroom, white wine and garlic sauce with courgette and leeks, served on buttery mashed potato. It was really good and hearty, just what I wanted on the hangover I had. For pudding we shared a trio of mini desserts, chocolate fondant, tarte au citron and tarte tatin. I went for the latter, which was tasty; caramelised apple in a sweet pastry base. I accompanied it with a cup of earl grey tea - lovely Sunday meal!

Makeover Week!

Hair & Nails

Unintentionally all this week, I have undergone three changes - a hair cut, a hair dye, and my nails done. The first occurred on Wednesday, and I finally bit the bullet and had about 1.5 inches lopped off. It feels really short, but is also much healthier now, the ends are no longer straggly and split, but feel bulbous and bouncy. 

I had my nails done on Thursday morning, and opted for a lovely glittery dark purple. I don't normally like the sparkly shades, but this one is quite subtle and gives a bit of Christmas cheer! I dyed my hair red again this morning, and probably thanks to the haircut, it has gone the shade I initially intended back in September, it has lost the translucency of previous attempts, and now looks lovely and glossy. Since my summer tan has definitely disappeared now, it is a great hue to compliment my uber pale winter skin tone, and I am looking forward to showing it off over the festive period!

Weekly Update!

Steam Sessions & A Night In!

This week started with me taking Mum to the airport to go to Spain - pretty jealous! It was with work though, so she didn't actually get much chance to enjoy herself unfortunately. Typical that on the first day she was away we had a fault with the freezer, resulting in it defrosting, so Mo and I had a feast that night for tea!

The following day I ate at the country club, and had pan fried duck and tempura king prawns with udon noodles in a soy and sesame dressing. The duck is always fabulous there, I don't know what they do with it, because I don't even normally like duck! After work I went back and had a relaxing swim/steam session with Abi, so nice to have another friend who's a member there now.

Wednesday and Thursday were quite quiet, gymmed both days and babysat on Weds as well as getting paid. On Friday I went to Warehouse Project with a few friends (see previous post) which was a really fun night. On Saturday after a lazy hungover day at Mo's, we went to James and Kelly's house for a night in, which was really fun and definitely something I want to do more of in the future. We got a lovely Chinese takeaway, and watched Pacific Rim on their new 3D television which was awesome. Had a few drinks but nothing too heavy after the previous evening!

On Sunday we decided last minute to go out for lunch at The Moss Trooper which was really good, and then after greeting Mum back from her trip, in the evening I went back to Mo's to stay and we had toad in the hole - delish!

New Tastes...

The Moss Trooper, Timperley

Today I went to the Moss Trooper in Timperley for lunch with Mo, Kelly and James. It has been renovated many times and is currently very trendy, with leather chesterfield style sofas, wood panelling and open fires. It was a last minute decision to go but is a firm favourite with us all so was an easy choice.

There is a new menu since the last time I visited, and with so many amazing sounding dishes, it took us a while to decide! I eventually opted for the foot long hotdog, topped with pulled pork in a mustard mayonnaise sauce, onion rings and fries. It turned up and was an absolute beast! I had to skip the bun, but somehow managed to finish it all - the pulled pork was my favourite, so flavoursome and juicy. Mo and James both had gammon with egg (a safe bet but tasty nonetheless) and Kelly had beef brisket in a flat bread with salad and chips.

It is slightly more expensive than a typical local pub (food averages about £10 a meal) but the quality is much better than the microwaved rubbish you get at chain owned pubs, yet has a more relaxed vibe than going all out at a restaurant. Due to us venturing out on a day when both Mancunian teams were playing at home, it was fairly quiet, but usually the place is very popular with locals, and has lots of events on to entertain including two types of quizzes, Sunday roasts and a Curry Night. Worth a visit for fellow Cheshire residents.