quantumcupcakes | Entries tagged with holidays

Happy Easter and Happy Purim to those who celebrate

The less said about the Rugby last night the better! Cardiff lost 20-15 to Munster, and Wales lost 46-10 to England in the Women's Six Nations. Jack, predictably, gloated about it (why did I marry an Englishman?) and so, naturally, I spanked his ass for it. Even though I know after all these years that he does it on purpose to goad me into spanking him - the man does love a spanking after all - and I know I could deny him because of it, but I enjoy doling it out almost as much and so it works every single time. If I thought there was any malice in his teasing when Wales lose, it would be a very different story

It's been a fairly typical weekend in our household, with extra bonus chocolate due to the holiday. Sundays have always been family day, and today was no different. Jack took the dogs out for a walk, came back with Easter Eggs for us all while Lucy and I made a fry up. I spent the rest of the morning poking around Threads and Instagram, and learning to use Canva - I think I'm getting the hang of them but only time will tell.

Then as is typical for us for a Sunday afternoon, we indulged in some BDSM fun for the afternoon. Even now a few hours later, Jack & Lucy both vibrating toys in place that I have a remote control for!

I also pulled together my TBR for April. I'm being a little ambitious with 10 books, I usually average 6 or 7 books a month but this gives me a good selection to choose from and even a couple of genres I don't usually read!
Alexandria Bellefleur - The Fiancée Farce
Arthur C Clarke - 2001: A Space Odyssey
Brian Cox - Black Holes
Parasite - Mira Grant
Holly Hepburn - The Missing Maid
Nicholas Spencer - Magisteria
JRR Tolkien - The Hobbit
HG Wells - The Time Machine
Jaimie Admans - The Chateau of Happily Ever Afters
Isaac Asimov - I, Robot

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Madonna - Vogue

I think I'm about as caught up on my dreamwidth reading as I'm going to get. I was up to something like skip 80! If I have missed anything you think I need to know about, please do let me know!

Christmas Day was wonderful. We all had a lie in, Jack went out the dogs, Lucy rang her sisters, and I made breakfast. We all settled down in the family room and opened presents. I was very spoiled indeed - and you may notice a theme going through these
From Jack, I got - and can I just say I really love that man - a mid-season ticket to see my Blues <3
From Lucy, I got some Jason Momoa DVDs, a stargazing book and an astronomy log notebook.
From my dad, I got a Cardiff Blues rugger jersey. And very comfortable it is!
From Polly & Esme (Lucy's younger sisters), I got some vanilla marshmallow body shop prodcuts which smell divine.

Jack & Lucy were thrilled with their gadgets - Jack & I got Lucy a Kindle Oasis and a Marauders Map cover for it. And I got Jack a Fire HD 10

I also got Jack RAF sweater, a Man City book and a John Williams CD
Lucy gave Jack a Man City hoodie and an RAF Haynes manual book.
My dad got him a book on the 100 years of the RAF
(noticing a theme here? Anyone would think Jack love the RAF and MCFC!)
Polly & Esme got him some fishing gloves and a guided journalling book.

For Lucy
I got her a notebook and some fineliner pens she'd been cooing over and a throw blanket with a map of Narnia.
Jack got her the Bullet Journal method book and a Hufflepuff glove/scarf set
Polly & Esme got her some books on Steampunk
Her parents got her a Great British BakeOff cookbook and her other siblings got her amazon vouchers, and my dad got her an angel keyring and a set of unicorn socks.

Jack & I got a card from Lucy's parents which is an improvement on our relationship with them!

We ate far too much food, drank too much wine, sang badly to carols and played scrabble and monopoly all afternoon. It was a lot of fun.

Then yesterday, Jack's son came round. He got his dad a stadium tour of Man City and he got me some amazon vouchers. He and Lucy still have a vaguely awkward relationship, I can't see that ever-changing and I do understand it, but they don't buy each other gifts, which is fair enough. The men went out and Lucy & I cuddled up to watch Jason Momoa on TV

Tomorrow we head to my dad's. My brother, his wife and their children will also be descending on him, ready for our (brother & I) birthday. It's always strange going back there, he's still in our childhood home and I feel like I'm being transported to another time when we go. Not necessarily in a bad way, just weird. The worst is that me & Jack end up in one bedroom and Lucy in another :(

Current Mood: tired

I think we're about as ready for Christmas as we're going to get. All the necessary prep and shopping is done, the house is clean - time to kick back, relax and enjoy spending time with the family. I went to an aquafit class this morning, that was a lot of fun but we have no more plans other than that.

Lucy's younger sisters are joining us on Christmas Day. That caused a mild moment of panic because we hadn't got them any presents - we managed to find a lush giftset for Esme and a leather jacket I'm know Polly will love. They've also offered to cook which is very nice of them, although Lucy's not sure she wants to let them lose on her kitchen.

Jack's son is coming to visit us on Boxing Day - we've got him some Amazon Smart Home lighting switches and lightbulbs; he's in the middle of fitting his flat out with Smart technology and that's what he's asked for.
If Esme & Polly are still here on Boxing Day that could potentially be awkward because Jacks' son is... rather enamored with Esme and flirts with her outrageously.

On Friday we're going to my dad's for a long weekend - a birthday tradition, with my brother, his wife and their kids joining us so we can all celebrate my brother and I's birthday together. Part of me is hoping we find time to go to the National Gallery, I haven't been in a long time... I might try the fluttering eyelashes and 'but it's my birthday' and see what happens haha.

Back home for New Years. No plans which I'm kind of regretting. I think maybe 2019 we might have to invite everyone round for a party but that's still a long way off. I like it as a plan though.

If I don't get back online again - Merry Christmas to you all

Current Mood: pleased

Where did the last week go? I feel like once again I blinked and the whole thing went past

I have to admit, I've been so exhausted by the end of the term chaos that I've not been wanting to look at a screen when I got home. I've been just curling up on the couch and trying to relax.

It was a productive week, work wise though. I got all the grades uploaded onto the system, I invigilated some exams, I talked through dissertation topics, I argued grades etc etc. And now term has ended so I'm working on winding down.

Current plan is relax and enjoy things over Christmas, my birthday and New Year, then once the festivities are over I've got a week to get everything prepared for the new term.

I got home on Friday evening to find Jack & Lucy had decorated for Christmas. It was a magical feeling, coming home to that at the end of a stressful week was perfect. If I'm ever too old to find Christmas decorations to be wondrous, I will be going to find my grave!

We went to see Aquaman which was incredible and if I didn't have enough of a crush on Jason Momoa before hand? <3

Current Mood: content

Just For Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

Synopsis When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone - and as far away from Edinburgh as possible.

Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the world's scruffiest dog, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities.

Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan - and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiance, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...
My rating: 4/5
Filed under: chick-lit, christmas, romance

Just for Christmas has the perfect winter cover. I am a bit of a magpie and anything that glitters grabs my attention and makes me go 'oooooooh!', so the twinkly cover appealed to me from the get-go.

I'm also a sucker for books about Christmas, chick-lit and animals, and Alex, the protagonist in Just for Christmas finds herself lumbered with a mad, scruffy dog called Buoy. I warmed to both characters immediately; they are both vibrant, full of personality and desperately in need of love. In fact the characters are the biggest success in this story. I felt like I knew them all, from Ruan, the slightly aloof boatman to Lucy, the barmaid with a hidden past, and I cared for them too.

Village life in Cornwall was also beautifully portrayed. Images of warm, bustling pubs where everyone knows everyone else, a strong community spirit and the importance of festive traditions being upheld made me want to be resident in Poldore myself.

There were elements of the plot that moved unrealistically fast, but I really didn't mind that at all-sometimes life does move crazily fast and situations change overnight, and even if they didn't I wouldn't care because one of the great benefits of fiction is that anything goes!

If you have enjoyed Scarlett Bailey's other books, or are a fan of Amy Silver, Sophie Kinsella or Marian Keyes, I am sure you'll love this heart-warming story. As well as Christmas fun and froth it touches on the importance of family, friendship, acceptance and community-something we all need more of at Christmas.

Current Mood: satisfied

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Entries tagged with holidays

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Just For Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

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