Blackberry picking

Low carb healthier eating plan

So, following a slight scales disaster (turns out I weigh a stone and a half more than I thought, because my bathroom floor is extremely uneven...I now have to use them on an upturned coffee table to get accurate readings).

This coupled with another lecture from the hospial, I am going to embark on some better eating. I always find that when work is busy my diet becomes far more toast and pizza based. I know that as someone who is allergic to lactose and intolerance to gluten this will end badly. 

In the interest of feeling less awful and fixing the damage done over the last few months, i've done a 'healthy' shop. Now let's see how long I can go without stuffing my face with allergens...

I'm also hoping to reduce my sugar intake. This is one addiction I kick and then end up being awful with it again. And when my sugar intake is low I do feel better (once the headaches and grumpiness go) but it's such an easy bad habit to fall back into.

I think this needs to be a bit organized thus: when i'm just mooching about I need to be strict. For work I need to be organized and prepare meals in advance but for my sanity and social life I need to be flexible. Pasta is not evil. Just bloaty. Pudding is fine occasionally.

We started well (even with day 1 as a saturday!):

Breakfast

Yougurt (arla. Don't lecture)

Snack

Carrot batons & bbq chicken bits

Lunch/dinner

Bacon and chinese veg stir fry with bacon.

Evening snack:

Olives and sheep/goats cheese

I'm currently dragging my entire household along with me. Ray is doing well. Traff forgot rice was a carbohydrate...

Ah well, we shall see how this goes. Day 2 so far has been cery healthy... actually, i've been so busy I hadn't had a chance to really eat. Had the same breakfast and snack as yesterday so far so good!

Foolproof measuring...

Put it on the board then cut our around the outside...
In the wind and rain.
What could possibly go wrong?

Making a paddle board bag

This is so much more inconvenient than I had imagined!
22ft of fabric doesn't really fit in the loft.

Sweet pea posy

Ray forgot her calculator. Her final engineering exam is on Tuesday.
So, Traff and I dutifully took it to my parents house for her.
I also took my mum a watermelon plant.

We were invited to stay for dinner and had a bbq, which was ace.

And I my mum cut me a posy of sweet peas.

Plant frenzy!!

So, I got the compost to sort my watermelons into their own containers (some have new homes to go to too).
We got the expanding coconut fibre compost as it was the easiest to carry. I now have a barrel (80l) of compost in the garden so I thought i'd better do more than 6 plant pots!

So, I have my 6 watermelons, 4 cacti, peppers, cherries, blueberries and peaches all on the kitchen windowsill now.
I'll post progress photos!

I'm feeling very productive. More so that I was this morning when we were drinking rum in the pub. Drunk gardening. It's a thing!

Kawaii graph plots?

Banana bread ish

Somehow today's banana bread has come out like a sponge pudding.
Ah well, still looks, smells and tastes,awesome!

I had a whole load of bananas left with me after pgl. I don't like bananas on their own.. and crushed bananas do limit theur usefulness.
I still have 3 left so I might do a banoffee pie for work.. or another banana bread. I am undecided.

Lunch bag

As a thank you for helping her move house Tracey bought me a flamingo lunch bag!
It's awesome!
So, now I need to attend lots of picnics all summer.

Hump day!

Traff met me at the door with a gin cocktail.
😁

The best holiday presents

But now the question is "what do I make?"

Exactly.

Show invitation

I was pretty honoured this week at work, as I was given two personal invitations to attend 'Matilda the musical'.
Tracey and I went this evening as it was brilliant!
Certainly brightened up a rainy evening.
😁

Watermelons

PGL

This weekend I had a,rather gruelling PGL experience.
The weather was perfect, the activities were awesome and the local a&e department was hugely accommodating.

I very much enjoyed canoeing. And Simon stoically enjoying the giant swing.

Custom SUP bag design

I contacted a maker on etsy and asked them to design me a new SUP bag.
I'm super excited.
These are my options:

Packing for PGL

Walking home

Last night Ray and I had an epic walk back from old town.
Sunsets!

Poorly marley

The last few days Marley's inner eyelids have been showing.
Web md for cats is just as dramatic as web md for people. But she's off to the vets just to be sure.

SUP

I have finally had time to fit the grip and leash to my board.
Now I just need a body of water to take it out on.
😁
Marley helped my eating my deck grip.
It was a nightmare to cut and stick with all those chewed edges!

Canal walk

...still looking for paddle boarding spots.. but it Was a really nice walk in the sunshine. We got to see ducklings and butterflies.. and a heron.
Sushi lunch from waitrose too.

Cycling to Nob Hill

New nails!

I got them done at London nails on Rodborne road again.
I'm actually really impressed with them so i'm going to make that my.new salon.

I had intended to go last night as it's insanely busy at the weekend, but Marley managed to sneak out of the front door as I came in. I spent 40 minutes turning the house upside down to find her with (obviously) no luck.
When I opened the front door for Ray, Marley ran in like the devil was after her, but it did delay my manicure.

So, I have iridescent beetle nails and a cat that is terrified of cars.

Sciencey ideas

Prom

I had a prom disaster. My black dress exploded!
The zip came off.. like, the stitching and Tracey had to rip me out of my dress.
Ray had to deliver me a dress on her motor bike!

I was the driver for prom. Tracey, geneva, olly and Roz however took advantage of the bar.

We danced the chacha slide and macarena so i'll call this a huge success.

Tropical Saturday breakfast

Traff bought me ice tea as a present, which is,extremely thoughtful and well received.
So, for breakfast I had my ice tea and some of my pineapple (80p in lidl!).
Sadly my tropical breakfast isn't matching up to the weather.