Three Years

As you read this post, I'll hopefully either be still snuggled up in bed in our hotel in Edinburgh or sipping on a breakfast coffee somewhere lovely. But this post isn't about me having an awesome weekend away, it's about three years. 

Three years ago today that boy up there ^^ asked this girl to go on their very first adventure together. I don't think he planned to have our first date on Valentine's Day, it just worked out that way. In true Oscar style, he picked me up and we drove to an undisclosed location. The little romantic drove us to Stirling to the Wallace monument. We climbed the windy hill up to the top and were rewarded with not only the epic history of the monument, but the spectacular view of the world below. I should've known then that life would never be dull with O! The last three years have been a whirlwind and I can't wait to become his wifey and have many many more adventures together! 

PS He will kill me for posting this smoosh, so let's just keep this between you and me, ok? <3

Love Mindfully

On Sunday afternoon I was reading an article in the Simple Things magazine that really hit home with me. You guessed it, it was called "love mindfully". With Valentine's Day coming up, it just gave me a little reminder to break out of my usual Monday to Friday working week funk and remember to see how special the everyday mundane small things are in your relationship. Both O and I can be guilty of letting silly things wind us up and not using our time together to the fullest (hello iPhone!). We shouldn't need to wait until Valentine's Day to show our other half how much they mean to us, so I thought I'd give you a little gist of how I'll be trying to love a little more mindfully...

:: Be present - in this day and age it's tough to switch off the outside world and just focus on being with each other. We've been making an extra effort to switch off our phones, iPads, laptops, TV etc and just spend time together. It's actually lovely to listen to Oscar telling me about his day or about something interesting he read that day instead of having our hands (and heads) glued to our phones.

:: The small things - this is something I'm a huge advocate of. Sometimes its not all about the grand gestures, but the little everyday things that might appear mundane to those  on outside looking in. Oscar makes my lunch even on my days off. I'll look in the fridge and there will be a little packed lunch waiting for me. He turns on the electric blanket in the evening and tucks my pyjamas inside so they'll be toasty when I put them on. Every time I'm in Glasgow I'll bring him home an Eat granola pot, because they're his favourite. Or some M&S Colin Caterpillars. Sometimes these small things mean more than the grand things.

:: Laugh - you've got to be able to laugh. Laugh at yourself, each other and together. I could've had the worst possible day and I'll come home and O always makes me laugh and cheers me up. You need to be able to have fun together. Be silly. I'm rarely serious and sometimes O looks at me like "where did I find you?!". Don't take yourself so seriously, be a duffus! 

:: Date night - I think its important to have date nights. When you live together, its easy to let the romance take a back seat when they every day stuff gets in the way. We try to have a date night every week. Some weeks this will be going out for a nice dinner, or going on an adventure. Other times it can just be cooking a nice meal and eating it at the dining table instead of on our laps in front of the TV. Its so important to keep things fresh and have a little romance. 

:: See the best - we all get grumpy or annoyed at each other at some point. I'm guilty of being quick tempered, but I've been consciously trying to put myself in the other person's shoes. If you focus on the things that bug you about the other person, that's all you will see. Try to see the best in each other. 

:: Alone time - everyone needs their space sometimes. Some of the loveliest afternoons are the ones we spend in the house together, but doing our own thing. O will be off doing something DIY, hockey or gaming related and I'll probably be catching up on blogs, reading or watching Netflix.  

Happy V week! <3
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Sunday Mornings #21

Happy Sunday! I hope your week's have been grand? I've spent most of mine failing in the kitchen and hurting myself, no lie! Made two different dinners that didn't turn out at all how they were supposed to and then cut my fingers twice with a chopping knife. Oh and scalded my hand with boiling water. Oscar has now banned me from the kitchen (maybe this was my plan all along?!) and warned me to stay away from sharp objects. Despite all this drama, my week still had some silver linings...

:: Deliciously Ella's cinnamon and paprika sweet potato wedges! Oh my! I'm a huge sweet potato fan, but the magic of adding cinnamon into the mix takes them to a whole new level! Not only did the taste AMAZING, but my whole house smelled divine for the rest of the afternoon. 

:: O ordering some naughty pizza on Wednesday evening, after my attempt at making butternut squash daal failed miserably! 

:: Discovering Meridian crunchy peanut butter on a Monday afternoon! Where has this heavenly PB been all my life?! When I told O how good it was, he then introduced me to a PB & J sandwich...HOLY! Are you sensing that this week has been food themed? Ooops!

:: Oscar surprising me with breakfast in bed this morning! He's a keeper, eh? <3

:: Finding some bargains at an outlet village on Saturday. Got an awesome new Nike yoga mat and some bargainous NB trainers. Also discovered that Scotland has Tiger! I thought they only had stores in England. Such a happy surprise (not for my bank balance...!).

:: Having a classic Saturday evening of a DVD, dinner and wine. I may have fallen asleep on the sofa at 9pm...standard.

:: Getting my reading mojo back. I started Wild by Cheryl Strayed on Thursday and loving it. It's kinda got the Phoebe Smith - Extreme Sleeps vibe. Have you read it?

:: I treated myself to the above ^^ Nuxe lip balm this week and my lips have been high fiving me ever since! It's just so creamy and stays on for hours.

:: More beautiful February skies. This one ^^ we caught on Friday evening on the drive home from Glasgow. It looked like the sun was a beacon in the centre of the sky. Long may these pink evenings continue!

:: I'm advertising on Sarah's blog this month! Go check her out, such beautiful photos and inspiring writing :)

How's this one been for you lovelies? Which little moments have made you happy this week? :)

E D I N B U R G H

Next weekend O is taking me away to Edinbugh for Valentine's Day! We're staying from the Friday evening til Sunday. I've been to Edinburgh hundreds of times, but O hasn't really seen much of it. So I'm looking for some recommendations from you lovely people! Do you know any great restaurants, bars, cake shops? Any hidden gems? We're pretty much up for anything! On our list so far are: Mary's Milk Bar and Crumbs. Oh and I forgot to mention, it'll be our three year anniversary on the 14th...smoosh or what?!

If you would be so kind to leave any tips or link any blog posts you may have about it in the comments below? I would be forever thankful! 

Lx

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Highland Snow Hunting!

Over the Christmas break, we decided to dress up in as many layers as humanly possible and head up to the Highlands for the day in search of some snow. If you're a seasoned W&P reader, you'll know that our adventures can get slightly out of control. A quick trip up north soon turned into a four hour drive up to Fort William and back...ooops! We stopped at some breathtakingly beautiful spots along the way, including the infamous Glencoe. I love stopping here, its so deafeningly quiet, yet it feels like it's screaming out loud with history and horror at the same time. Does this make sense? 

We also stopped on the banks of this ^^ lovely loch just as the sun was setting. On the way home, we managed to spot a whole family of deer frolicking about in the snowy hills. Best way to end a road trip ever? I reckon so!

Have you ever been up to the Highlands? What's your favourite spot?

Saturday + Sunday by numbers

30 :: treacherous + terrifiying miles driven on a snow/ice covered one track road en route to the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park on Saturday evening. O drove like a pro and got us to the other side without a scratch on us (or the Volvo!).

7 :: new constellations spotted in the night sky with help from the lovely Keith. 

5 :: cups of liquorice and mint tea slurped.

2 :: sesame seed bagels scoffed. One with smoked salmon and scrambled egg, the other with peanut butter (crunchy FYI).

5 :: recipe books scoured for this week's dinner menu. Can't wait to make the lemon + garlicy chicken in the slow cooker!

1 :: runaway dog we had to chase after on Sunday afternoon. Naughty Lucy.

2 :: mango macarons inhaled just after Sunday lunch. Lush.

30 :: minutes spent doing a Fitness Blender workout.

4 :: new pairs of socks purchased. There may be sheep and cats involved.

24+ :: hours spent wearing the comfiest yoga pants I've ever owned! We did a lot of sofa sitting together.

10 :: different yoga/pilates mats I've been trying to decide between. Does anyone have any recommendations?!

9 :: episodes of the Good Wife I've binged watched. Thanks Netflix!

1 :: beautiful February winter sky witnessed ^^ during the golden hour.

Now, how was your weekend? What adventures did you have? :)

 

Sunday Mornings #20

Well haven't I been on a blog posting roll this week?! ;) Somehow I got my mojo back, not sure where it was hiding, but it found me! This week has been a C O L D one, hasn't it? I've found myself looking for tiny signs of spring everywhere I go. On Saturday we even opened the sunroof...cray cray, I know! We've still managed to avoid the snow here, but if you drive half a mile inland, it's snow central. Insane. Here's this week's lovely moments...

:: Cosying up on the sofa like nobody's business. Every damn night (and day) this week. Some days I've even dragged the hot water bottle and the duvet on to the sofa. Not sorry.

:: The Good Wife. A little late to the party, I know! I was waiting in the whole of Friday for an electrician to appear, so I decided to give it a go. I watched eight episodes that day. Not even sorry. I blame Netflix. Each episode just blends into the next and you don't realise how long you've been watching it. I'm loving it FYI. Chris Noth is my jam. Just saying.

:: Looking at huge houses (and estates, ha!) that I want to buy. I want a big fixer-upper, with a door just like that one up there ^^. May have to content myself with our little bungalow for a few years, but then my dream of having a big old house and massive garden for our Newfoundland puppy (dream dog) to bound around in will become a reality, I'm sure of it!

:: Spending hours drooling over new cookbooks. I picked up Deliciously Ella's this week and I want to make every single little thing in it. 

:: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on top of sesame seed bagels. The Saturday morning breakfast of champions. 

:: Going to a stargazing night at the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park on Saturday evening. Snow everywhere, wrapped in about ten different layers, gazing at the stars with a hot cup of soup in my hand. Dreamy.

:: Getting some of the loveliest blog comments I've ever received. You've all been lovely little things this week! <3

:: Getting four pairs of cosy socks for £4.20 in the Accessorize sale. Bargain! 

:: Teapigs liquorice and mint tea. Can't get enough of this lately. It's just the right level of mintyness and sweetness, all rolled into one. 

How have your week's been? :)