January Round Up

So that was January, huh? Just like that, we’re a month into 2018 already! And as years go, this one has started off ok!

Well, I say that… it actually started off a bit like this:

That is us with a stonking hangover at about 2pm on New Years Day. Because for some reason we have not yet learnt that beer pong isn’t really a game for grown ups. Especially not beer pong with cider and prosecco! So the year didn’t start off all that well at all, truth be told, but it was nothing a long sleep and a slap up meal at Miller & Carter didn’t sort out!

So January 1st aside, once we’d recovered the rest of the month shaped up very nicely indeed! I mean, in honesty, it’s passed in a bit of a blur of getting back into normality, but that in itself can feel like a breath of fresh air after the chaos of the Christmas season. It hasn’t all been humdrum though – there have been some real standout moments too. First up was our trip to The Lake District! Back in October I booked a mini spa break for Dan as a Birthday gift with the intention of us getting some serious R&R. I won’t go into too much detail as I have a longer post planned all about it, but needless to say, we had a fantastic time. It was so well timed just a couple of weeks after Christmas, and as we went midweek it felt like a real treat. The hotel was gorgeous, and we had full use of the spa and pool, which we didn’t actually get around to using because we had our very own private hot tub with a lake view! Best of all, we spent a lovely couple of days doing our favourite things – exploring somewhere new and eating and drinking A LOT of yummy stuff!

It seems we might have enjoyed it a little bit too much though, because…..

WE BOUGHT A HOT TUB!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!! That is one giant hot tub, currently taking up all the room in my garage, and it’s MINE! I mean ours, obviously, it’s ours…! Anyway, we’ve been talking about getting a hot tub for a while. It started as a joke really, because we love using them so much, but Dan was pretty convinced they were one of those things that is good in theory but in reality would just end up gathering moss and never getting used. Then I pointed out that HELLO? I spend approximately 50% of my life marinating in a hot bath? And Dan said, ‘Yeah, but you’re washing when you’re in the bath!’ and I was all, ‘Dude, you’re doing it wrong…!’ No, seriously, sometimes I enjoy relaxing in the bath so much, with some scented candles burning and a good book and a G&T in hand, that I forget to actually wash and have to get in the shower afterwards to, well, wash! I wish I was kidding, but it’s literally happened about 100 times. So after a little research and much umming and ahhing we decided to just go for it! It turns out they don’t cost as much to run as we first thought, and we did get a bonus this year, so why not? We found this one for half the cost we’d originally estimated as it was an ex display model, and long story short (if you can actually call this rambling paragraph short…) it is now sat patiently waiting for us to knock out the pond and get it installed. I honestly cannot tell you how excited I am to get it up and running. And yes, I’m aware that I’m basically a yuppy now!

It’s pretty hard to top getting a hot tub on my list of achievements for the month, but I actually also learnt a new skill, so get me, adulting and shiz! For Christmas Dan bought me a Malaysian cooking masterclass with Chef Norman Musa at the Harborne Food School, which took place last Saturday. I’m a keen cook with a passion for Asian flavours in general, but I didn’t know the first thing about the actual techniques involved, so I was very excited. I was also filled with dread and anxiety though – it was quite pricey so Dan hadn’t booked himself on, meaning it was just me going it alone. I always feel like a complete numpty admitting this, because I’m an adult, who manages a very large team and speaks to strangers every day, but this kind of thing always fills me with nerves. I can’t help thinking about the what ifs. What if everyone else is a couple and I’m left on my own? What if they’re all experts and I’m the only one who hasn’t got a clue what I’m doing? What if I do something ridiculously stupid and end up burning down the kitchen, or the Chef declares me unteachable and throws me out?? All of this is silly, of course, and none of it happened – well, apart from me forgetting my tupperware to take home leftovers and having to text Dan furiously under the table to beg him to bring them for me, that was pretty stupid… – and I had an absolutely fantastic day. There were only 6 of us, so we really got some intense, one on one training from Norman, and the food we made was absolutely delicious. I’m so glad I got the chance to take part, but most of all, I’m pretty proud of myself for not letting my anxiety get the better of me and giving it a go – though I’m pretty sure Dan would have been rather pissed if I’d not gone!!

And that was January! Other than that, it’s largely been a blur of pretending I’m trying to be more healthy and thinking up new ways of justifying my many, many sales purchases (I don’t think I can use ‘I got a bonus!’ anymore since spending it all on a hot tub…)

Oopsie….

Hope your year has also got off to a great start! Looking forward to seeing what else 2018 has in store!

Love,

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