Secret Santa!

I finished making the last item for my Secret Santa parcel last night; now everything is wrapped and ready to go! I can't tell you who will be receiving the parcel as that would spoil the surprise, but suffice to say it's going to a different country without going overseas... I hope the 'lucky' recipient enjoys their gifts.

Lending a Hand to the Global Economy

On Friday hubby & I celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and where better to celebrate than back in the city where we got married - New York! Yay!!! And we are child-free for the entire time. Yay again! (much as I love the little blighter, shopping til you drop with a buggy and toddler is not such an easy feat.)

So, tomorrow afternoon DC is toddling off to Grandma and Grandad's and then very early on Friday morning we will wend our weary way to Heathrow to board a lovely BA flight for the city that never sleeps. It's pretty much a whistlestop tour and a bit of an odd one because on Sunday evening hubby and I will be going our separate ways as hubby flies off to San Francisco for business and I stay in NYC for an entire 24 hours ON MY OWN!!! Well, on my own WITH A CREDIT CARD. And an empty suitcase.

Birthday Haul

'Twas my birthday on Monday. Don't tell anyone, but I turned 39. Also known as 34 because when I turned 37 I decided I was going to go backwards in years and see how long I could get away with it, so when I was 37, I was actually 36; when I was 38 I was 35, and now I'm 39 I'm only actually 34. Get it?!

I had a very lovely day indeed as I decided to do absolutely no work whatsoever (the joys of working from home, flexi-time!) So, while hubby took DC off to nursery, I sat in my pyjamas, drinking coffee, watching Ugly Betty on Sky+ and flicking through Christmas catalogues.

Upon hubby's return I opened a very fine stash of birthday presents, many of which had been sent from Cath Kidston, which I thought was remarkably kind of her. She must be a very busy lady, even more so at this time of year, but how nice that she realised what I would most like and delivered it to my very front room.

About 10am I summoned up the energy for a shower, after which I toddled in to town and had a very pleasant few hours wandering round the shops, buying a few Christmas pressies plus some new gloves and hat for DC to ward off the Arctic chill (he already has some but hubby felt an upgrade was required.) A leisurely stop in Starbucks for a venti Peppermint Mocha, before a little more shopping and then, treat to end all treats, I got the bus home! Oh yes, that may not sound like much, but I always walk home from town - but not on my birthday, no sireeeeee. Then it was over to the health club for a back, shoulder and scalp massage - blissssssssssssssssss, before returning home to a roaring fire and still another hour or so of child-free peace.

But the best moment of the day came when DC arrived home from nursery clutching his very first piece of 'art' (word used in loosest sense, for I am not one of those mothers who sees a spark of genius in everything her child does), or at least the first piece that nursery thought it safe to let him come home with.

What luck that DC had got me this lovely wire heart for my birthday, so that I can display his art in all its glory...

After DC had gone to bed, hubby cooked me a birthday request dinner: toad in the hole with cauliflower cheese, followed by strawberry shortcake birthday cake.

All in all, a tippity-top day. I'm a very lucky 33 year old.