Happy New Year, New Decade....wow!

Happy New Year all!

Last year went so quickly, possibly quicker than before it feels, but maybe I'm just getting a bit old - haha!

To celebrate the New Year this year, we stayed in at a friends house and I organised a New Year quiz. We are regular Sunday night quizzers, so quite the experts at quizzes we like, and quizzes we don't!

There are certain topics I had to include:

Anagram
Dead or Alive
Chemical Elements
1 Sports Question
Medical Question

Also picture rounds including photos of famous people born on New Years Day, Predictive Texts, Close Up Pictures.

Then, because I got really into it and was writing it for a long time, I invented some new rounds.

The first was a water waterfall. Remember the days of waterfalls at parties, and having loads of bubble up your nose? Well with a water waterfall, it was much easier to drink, still hilarious, and also we were all nicely hydrated, to carry on with more drinking. Winner!

Secondly, I added to write a Haiku (2 team members had recently been to Japan for their honeymoon). This was also hilarious. 1 team went for a poo theme (winners), one went for one about me being an amazing quizmaster (very flattering), and the other took it more seriously, and wrote one about rainy London. I loved them all, and definitely want to do this again!!

And finally, I finished with a paper snowflake competition. Because who doesn't' want to get creative at the end of some more serious questions.

I loved it, and hope my fellow quizzers did to! Here's to a fabulous new year!

Backpacking Adventures

I am very excitingly off on some backpacking adventures tomorrow, for a few weeks, and so am now doing all sorts of things I can think of to put off packing.

This is not as bad as it sounds - I have actually almost packed, I just need to wash a few last bits, and add in a few extra things I've just thought of to take.

I am however, trying to be very good, and not just keep adding things I think of!!

I got my trusty Lowe Alpine 55l rucksack back in 2002 and have taken it all over the world with me on various adventures, and it's been great. The only problem (apart from it now being very old and worn) is that it is surprisingly roomy, and so if I have space, I tend to fill it!

So as I now go on more weekend/long weekend trips (Can't wait for retirement!!) rather than month/year long trips, I have replaced my trusty old favourite with a new Lowe Alpine 45l carry on. It's lightweight, has the right amount of padding and pockets, and is surprisingly roomy, whilst still fitting into hand luggage size guidelines. 

I have so far taken it as hand luggage on a Ryanair and British Airways flight and there has been no question it's within the size allowed. 

Now as I really am one of those people who will pack stuff if there is space in my bag, and then get annoyed later, I decided that I can do 3 weeks backpacking in Central America with hand luggage only. It's going to be hot, so I can fit a lot of sundresses, bikinis and shorts in my hand luggage space. 

Slightly bulkier but definite essentials also include my snorkel & mask, hammock, mosquito net, and a big box of English Breakfast tea. 

Off to pack now.....photos to follow in a few weeks!!

A Sneaky Ski Weekend

Since I work in a school, and don't fancy going skiing amongst the half term craziness, we have to make do with skiing long weekends - which is actually plenty long enough to get into it and enjoy it.

As it was stupidly cheap to fly, and we thought it would be quiet after the New Year holiday, we went on Thursday for a sneaky ski long weekend. As in previous years, we flew to Geneva, and then got the hour and a bit transfer to Avoriaz, to take advantage of the Portes Du Soleil ski area.

Although this is the 3rd time we've skied in the Portes Du Soleil area, it's so massive that we discovered many new areas and runs this year, all with stunning mountain scenery.

Here are some photos:

From London (and I'm sure most other places in the UK) it's so easy. Flight = 1 hour 20 mins (+1 hour time difference on the way), transfer  = 1 hour 20 mins ish depending on the number of drop offs, lift up to Avoriaz = 5 mins and viola, you're in Avoriaz village. We always rent apartments from Air BnB right in the village, and the whole place is ski in ski out. Plus then you're right in the middle, so it's easy to get to the farthest edges of the ski area. 

I would highly recommend it for a weekend, or a week even!

A Mini Break to Newquay

In half term, I went for a much needed mini break to Newquay. I thought about taking some work with me, and in the end decided not to, and to just have a proper break from all work.

We rented a cute little house from Air BnB up on Pentire Head, at one end of Fistral beach and it was fabulous. The view was stunning and it was walking distance down to the beach.

I haven't surfed for years, but we hired boards and spent hours in the sea every day, perfecting our falling!! We had cake for breakfast on the beach, and came back to the house all tingly with cold, in time to go for a walk along the beautiful headland, and sampling a lot of the local cider.

All in all, it was a fabulous mini break, and Cornwall is just so stunning.

Here are some photos:

The view from the house - stunning

My new wetsuit that I bought this summer has been fabulous!! So so cosy!!

Mmmmm cider! Stable restaurant has the fabulous position of being actually on Fistral beach. The food and drinks are amazing, let alone the views!!

I love body boarding with my fabulous Mum (in the middle). She asked for her wetsuit for her 61st birthday present and has worn it so many times. Isn't she awesome??

Recreating our photos from Nicaragua last summer - only this time we're in wetsuits. It's harder to handstand in a wetsuit than it is in a bikini!!!

Look - I can stand up!! Haha, and then fall off straight away!!!

*New Mobile Idea* Hot Air Balloons

So the new mobile designs just keep coming this year!! I keep getting very excited and coming up with new ideas. This latest one - inspired in part by my visit to the Bristol Balloon Fiesta - for the first time in years - features lots of different coloured hot air balloons, some clouds, and a sunshine.

What do you think?

Malta Adventures

I managed to drag my boyfriend away from work for a week at the end of August, and we had a fabulous last minute holiday to Malta. Coincidentally, some very good friends also booked the exact same hotel, and were there for 5 days overlapping us which was great!!

We always try to go to at least one new country every year (although my boyfriend had already been sent to Finland and Barbados with work - grr I know!!) so Malta seemed like a fab new place to explore, and more importantly, so so hot and sunny!!

As it was so hot, we did mostly live in the sea and pool, but we did also manage a lot of sight seeing too. 

Here are some photos:

The pool at our fab hotel. We stayed at the Seashells at Suncrest Hotel in Qawra and it was gorgeous! The food choice was insane!!! Also there was an adults only pool....what's not to love!!

Visiting the beautiful old walled town of Medina. So nice and cool to wander the quiet, narrow streets.

On a boat trip to the Blue Grotto. Going in and out of caves around the rocky coastline was fab!!

And then jumping in for a swim afterwards!!! The sea was so lush and warm, it was dreamy to float around in there for hours!

Our view from our room. Such beautiful buildings. We were at the back, so didn't have a sea view, but got the evening sun on our balcony, after the pool had closed, which was lovely. 

Wandering round Valetta. Such windy, old streets, and very tall buildings. I hate to say it, but it was almost too hot in Valetta, so we escaped to the war museum, which was thankfully, mostly underground!!

The view from the old town in Victoria, on Gozo. So much fun to wander around. 

Swimming in the Blue Lagoon. Heaven! Just look at the colour of that sea!! We swam away from all the crowds and went over to the quieter side. 

I also went exploring and snorkelled into a cave!!

Beautiful fishing village of Marsaxlokk. So quiet and colourful. 

I would very much recommend a visit to Malta, and we will definitely be going back. There is so much more to see, and everyone was so friendly. Plus the sea was warm, the sun shone every day, and the food was delicious, so what's not to love?!?

Cornwall Adventures - Treyarnon Bay

I've just got back from a fabulous week in Treyarnon Bay in Cornwall. I can definitely be guilty of looking abroad for summer holidays, and forgetting quite how beautiful the UK beaches can be, although the weather was traditionally British - wind, rain, clouds, thunder and hail!!

Here are some photos....

First view when off the bus, and just a little way along the coast. I got the overnight Megabus from London to Newquay, which is brilliant. It can be as cheap as £10 and seems like the best use of time to get here, as otherwise it is very far from London!! The bus leaves London at 11.30pm and gets you into Newquay at 6.50am so very reasonable timing. 

Dramatic skies over Constantine Bay after a very soggy coast path walk along to Trevose Head Lighthouse. 

Having fun in the sea with my Go Pro. It was mad that almost every person in the sea was wearing a wetsuit - and you needed too!!! In August though it does seem a bit wrong!

Lots of dramatic bays and caves to explore at low tide....

The one day it was warm (just enough) to go in the sea in a bikini and without a wetsuit! The sea was stunningly clear and a beautiful turquoise.

We holed up in the caravan one particularly terribly wet afternoon and made scones! Mmmmm! I know I'm eating them the Devon way which is probably illegal in Cornwall, but this is my favourite way to make them!!

Sadly there were hundreds and hundreds of jelly fish and the super clear water meant you could see them coming!! In a wetsuit though it doesn't matter quite so much but it's still not so nice. I did think this one looked particularly beautiful though, and very like some glass painting I did with friends when younger. 

It was a fantastic holiday, but I am very much looking forward to going away to Malta in a few weeks to get some hot hot sun and beach time!!

British Summer Holidays - Covering Sun Loungers and Suitcases for Mini Boden

Earlier this year, I was asked to cover some suitcases and sun loungers in Mini Boden fabric for a summer photoshoot. It still felt cold and wintry when I was sewing them, so it was very exciting to see them on the website, a few days ago, now it feels nice and sunny and definitely Summer Holiday time.

Here are some photos of in the making, and the finished items. Sewing the sun loungers was fairly tricky, as I had to put my sewing machine on the floor, using the foot pedal in a funny crouched position, but to manoevre the foot over the bars, I had to unscrew the foot, and undo the needle in between each section....very frustrating!!!

Still, I think they look pretty fab...

They look a lot better on the beach than in my kitchen!!