A Winter Getaway, Apple Crumble and Snow Days #LittleLoves

I love writing these weekly Little Loves posts – they really help me to focus on how special the little things in life truly are. Keeping track of all the things that make me happy and reminding me that the small things in life really are the big things – life’s simple pleasures 🙂  I firmly believe that being grateful for all the good things in life is a very positive way of promoting happiness and overall mental health.

And this week I have so much to be grateful for – we’ve just returned from a weekend break to Edinburgh which I have to say was pretty magical in every way. We visited the Christmas markets, rode on the carousel, took a trip to Santaland, and ate yummy food at the city’s Hard Rock Café (for info, they have a fantastic gluten free menu if anyone else is GF like me). We also got to see some snow (and managed a few snowballs) on our journey which was just the cherry on top of the icing 🙂 I’ve come home feeling full of festive cheer and so looking forward to the next few weeks running up to December the 25th!

All I can say is that if you haven’t been to Edinburgh in the run up to Christmas just go – it’s fantastic. In fact at any time of year it’s a fabulous city – if you need any more persuading, just have a look at my post on things to do on a break to Scotland’s capital here.

READ

Anyway, back to all the other things I’ve been loving lately, and this book, all about How to Be Brilliant, has been fab to dip into during bath time over the last week. I always feel a bit silly telling people that I read books like this but I also believe that we should all try to be the very best we can be – everyone’s got the right to be brilliant 🙂 There are so many tips and snippets you can take away from this book no matter what your role in life – if you ever feel like you need a boost of inspiration (or a kick up the backside), I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try.

WATCHED

We haven’t had a lot of time for telly this week, but we have enjoyed catching up on a few episodes of Blue Planet II on iPlayer. If you’re a nature lover like me you’ll find it pretty awe-inspiring. And if you haven’t dipped into it yet it’s really worth a look.

WORE

It’s been all about the winter woolies lately – hats, scarves and extra pairs of socks. I even bought some new thermal underwear at the weekend as I’m getting cold on dog walks. If you’re looking for glamour I’m guessing you really haven’t come to the right place 😉

MADE

Last week I made a yummy apple crumble. We don’t eat desserts often but there’s something about the cold weather that makes you want to seek out warm, tasty, comforting food. This one is gluten and dairy free and based on a recipe a friend gave me. If you want to try it just stew some apples in cinnamon, pop them in an ovenproof dish, melt some coconut oil in a pan, add porridge oats and maple syrup (or sugar), and then top the apples with the mixture. Dot some more coconut oil on top and pop the lot in the oven for 20mins. Serve with custard (or in my case, coconut and mango yoghurt). Wrestle your children/husband/dog for the biggest piece and sit down and enjoy! 🙂

HEARD

Last week on a particularly miserable dog walk, I listened to writer Rachael Lucas being interviewed by Sas Petherick on the Courage and Spice podcast. I’ve heard Rachael being interviewed before and I love her relaxed and chatty style. I follow her on Instagram and her account (and her books) are lovely. Plus she’s Scottish, didn’t get a book published till she was 40, AND started off her writing career as a blogger. So much inspiration just in that last sentence right there! 🙂

AND LASTLY

I can’t let you go without a winter photo from the weekend. My tip for a perfect week of Little Loves? Grab your family, your sense of adventure and JUST ADD SNOW 🙂

Gx

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