Smiles of the week: Take me dancing in the wild

This week started off on a fairly unpleasant note. I shuffled sleepily into the bathroom this morning and in an attempt to grab all of my toiletries off the shelf in one go for my shower I just about managed to open my eyes enough to watch my razor tumble into the toilet. Cue a good five minutes spent trying to play hook a duck with the toilet brush whilst my razor taunted me from the bottom of the toilet bowl. Sometimes my life is too glamorous for words. This is why posts like this are necessary on a Monday (although the start of this post would make a pretty good attempt at a Mundane Midweek post a la Charlotte's Web), I love reminding myself of the little moments that have happened over the last seven days to make me remember that life isn't all as traumatic as this morning was. Hope you enjoy reading this week's little list of highlights from the last couple of days.

There's been a lot of chocolate cake involved in the last seven days. Firstly, Charlie's birthday cake, closely followed by cakes I made for work (we had a pack of eggs left over from our baking sessions at work so I was cajoled into using them up and feeding the office in the process). Then it was all topped off with a cake from Zuger's- literally the best chocolate cupcakes EVER. If you're ever on The Wirral or in Chester then visit one of their cafes or you'll regret it forever. 

Making said birthday cake and laughing LOADS at our ridiculous attempts to create a twin for the easiest pig character we'd spent about 10 seconds putting together. It suddenly became impossible to make another so after about 50 attempts we went for what was technically a far more complicated option and got it right first time.

Meeting up with two of my old best friends from school and hearing about all of the exciting grown up things that are happening in their lives. Meanwhile, I chose that day to strongly resemble that picture you can see of my five year old self with a pinafore and my big plastic Ray Bans. I may not be getting a mortgage and may look like an overgrown reception child but I'm very, very happy with my little lot. I'll happily watch my friends grow up around me but for now I'm perfectly content to stay just the way I am.

Finally reaching a point where I no longer felt absolutely stuffed from my meal out on Tuesday (three days later...) and enjoying a good gossip over a bowl of nachos and a bottle or two of wine with another of my besties from school. 

Playing scrabble with my Mum and Dad. I even helped my Dad by pointing out how he could make his three letter word add up to 42 points just by moving it one space to the left (and as a result lost the game...). 

Going to a charity Afternoon Tea party at my Mum's friend's house. Despite it being so windy we felt like we were battling a tornado to reach the scones it was really lovely to be sat out in the garden surrounded by people drinking tea (well, I had a lemonade) from vintage china under a canopy of pretty bunting. 

I'd love to hear what's happened in your world over the last week, here's to this one being a good 'un :)

Torso of the week- Everything Everything

Smiles of the week: Let's get up off the floor and use our feet for hands

This week has been one of those that's just ticked over without much to sing and dance about (although I did make a point of jumping ecstatically off my train earlier this evening after having to endure two hours of being squished into a tiny corner of the train by a group of loud, irritating, lager drinking women on their way back from a birthday weekend...). Despite this week being quieter than the last, there've still been lots of little moments that have brought a smile to my face. 

Buying myself a new notebook completely unnecessarily just because it has moustaches all over the cover. 

After buying said notebook, discovering that this week is National Stationary Week and so my purchase was entirely justified as an act of celebration. 

Spending ages in the steam room at the gym relaxing and inadvertently listening to strangers' gossip. I'd quite like to know how that girl's relationship dramas pan out...

Enjoying some quality time with my iPod on the train back to Liverpool and getting a bit too excited for a music filled few days at Live at Leeds next weekend.

Watching my Dad ceilidh dancing at my cousin's 40th. Literally the only time I can recall ever seeing him dancing. Voluntarily (and sober) too... not sure what had got into him!

Having a few families from work saying thank you for all of the help I've given them. I don't do my job to get thanked for it but its nice to know you're appreciated and have made a difference to somebody every once in a while! 

Being greeted by blue skies when I arrived back on the Wirral. It promptly turned to wind and rain as the weekend went on but at least I had a nice sunny welcoming.

Messaging a friend to ask how she's been and ending up organising a long-overdue meet up instead (I didn't actually end up finding out how she's doing since we got so overexcited at the prospect of seeing each other but at least I'll find out soon enough!).

Feet for Hands- Everything Everything

Cos everybody says you never speak up, and never take a moment's rest

I've just reached the end of an absolutely blissful week and a bit off work. I've done a bit of a whistlestop tour visiting lots of lovely people, eating way too much food (a personal high/low was eating a massive burger from GBK and then heading to Wagamama for tea 3 hours later...) and having a few little day trips in between.

 I seemed to get massively lucky with the weather on my week off and got to experience a rare phenomenon called blue sky and sunshine, so I'm glad I got to spend plenty of time out enjoying it rather than just having to stare longingly out of my window in the office. Way back on Easter Sunday (I've been laptopless since leaving Leeds on Good Friday hence the trip down memory lane!) my parents and I took a trip into North Wales and had a wander round a snowy Errdig. We don't do big family Easter celebrations since there's only really the three of us in our immediate family so we like to actually get out and do something as otherwise we'd just drive each other to insanity with endless games of scabble (we did have a game one night over the holidays and it resulted in my extremely polite mama trying to play a series of rude word- any more games and we'd have had to wash her mouth out with soap to get her back to her usually squeaky clean self!). 

So, anyway... Errdig. My pictures looked really pretty with their dusting of snow, so much so that it made me forget my hatred of the white stuff that's been plaguing us for the last few months. Although, that's not an invitation for it to return by any means. 

SPRING, PROMISE YOU'RE HERE TO STAY NOW PLEASE!

Don't Try- Everything Everything

Hey Kemosabe, I'm alone.

This week has been l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ng. We had a special event for patients and their families today that I was running a lot of, so if I haven't been swimming in thousands of mind-maps and plans for the workshops I've been whizzing around the hospital at 90mph trying to get all my normal work done too. Its been one of those weeks where I haven't truly been able to unwind or switch my mind off, with a constant to do list whirling around in my head. 

And so, by Thursday evening, cake became necessary. 

Lemon drizzle cake to be precise. 

If you've had a crazynonstopgogogoaaaaaaahhhhhhhh week too, this is the perfect cure. And even if you haven't been suffering from headless chicken syndrome but just fancy some cakey goodness, there's no reason why you can't enjoy a cheeky bit of baking too.

You will need:

225g butter

225g caster sugar (+ 85g for the drizzle icing)

4 eggs

grated zest of 1 lemon

225g self raising flour

juice of 1 and a half lemons

Pre-heat oven to 180C (or 160C if you have a fan oven).

Cream together the butter and caster sugar in a bowl then gradually add the eggs to the mixture, stirring as you go. 

Sift in the flour and then add the grated lemon zest.

Stir until it is all combined into a smooth mixture.

Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin and bake for about 50 minutes (or until you can insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and have it come out clean). 

Leave the cake to cool and then mix the caster sugar and lemon juice to make the drizzle icing. 

Pierce the cake all over with a skewer before pouring the drizzle over the cake (I made a huge messy puddle of the mixture on the worktop because I got a bit keen with pouring... go slowly here!). 

When the cake has fully cooled (I sneakily stood outside on the balcony at this point and let the freezing cold Leeds air speed up the cake cooling for me) remove from the tin and serve.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

Bearing in mind my flatmate and I didn't finish making this until about 10pm on Thursday evening, there isn't even a crumb  left on the plate now. 

If that's not a winning recommendation then I don't know what is.

Kemosabe- Everything Everything