The nicest, gooiest Chocolate Cookies

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Since this week is National Chocolate Week, I couldn’t possibly let the occasion go by without sharing my gratitude for this velvety food stuff! So, in lieu of the Great British Bake Off on Wednesday night (a show that has stolen my attention for the past 10 weeks which has now finished), I decided to have my very own bake off, against myself, in the kitchen – with my ever loving husband as camera man!

There was only one thing I was ever going to bake for National Chocolate Week and that was a recipe so thick in chocolate it makes your insides glow just from a mere whiff of it. My go to chocolatey recipe: Nigel Slater’s Chocolate Cookies.

Marriage, 9 1/2 months in…

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With summer a distant memory and shorter days creeping upon us, I realise that in just a couple of short months Andrew and I will be celebrating our first year anniversary. Just a few months ago I let you all in on how I had been finding the first 6 months of marriage and how I had struggled to come to terms with my new identity as a married woman.

One house move, a job change and numerous date nights later, just how have we been settling into our new roles as husband and wife? Well, here’s what I’m thinking, 9 and a half months in…

43 Autumn Date Ideas

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With it’s beautiful colours, crisp mornings, darker nights and hibernating draw, I find autumn to be the most romantic season. I dream of long afternoons, walking hand in hand with my husband, feeling the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the warmth of the golden autumn sun on our skin.

For me, a change in season marks a time for something new; for new plans to be made. So I began to note down all the perfect little date ideas I could think of to give Andrew and I an autumn to remember. I drew up a list of fun stay-at-home dates we could do for free, as well as excuses to get out into the great outdoors and enjoy our favourite season together.

Spiced Autumn Cake

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I love this time of year. As the days gradually get cooler and nights get longer, one of my favourite things to do is to pop on a pot of coffee and tuck into a good slab of home made cake with Andrew.

So when I saw that Denby Pottery were having their second annual Great Denby Cake Off, I jumped at the chance to make my first bake of the season (although it’s not quite officially Autumn yet – close enough!)

Upcycled Tyre Planter

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Having recently moved house we’ve been on the look out for unique finds to really put our own stamp on it. As well as finding one of a kind treasures, we’ve also been doing a spot of upcycling to create truly original pieces for our home.

Our latest creation is this fun hanging planter made from an old tyre that Andrew had stored away in the cellar. What a great way to repurpose something that would otherwise just be taking up space in a dark corner somewhere!

Vintage by the Sea

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As some of our regular readers will know, we love all things vintage, and we’re trying to make the most of local events and happenings in our home town and surrounding area. So when we heard that Morecambe’s Vintage by the Sea festival would be coming back again this year, I couldn’t wait to get my victory rolls in and step out in vintage style.

A Nostalgic Stay in Aberyswyth

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A few months ago I asked Andrew to pick a place he wanted to go and visit – the first thing that came into his head. He said, a caravan in Aberystwyth. And so, that’s exactly what we did for August bank holiday weekend.

Having visited North Wales earlier in the year, we were looking forward to seeing what Mid Wales had to offer, so I booked us a 3 night stay in a simple caravan just outside of Aberystwyth. As a child, Andrew’s holidays, and many of my own, were spent playing board games in seaside caravans. So with that in mind, we packed the car up full of our favourite childhood games and planned a nostalgic trip for just us two.

The North Wales Adventure Continued to Anglesey…

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Back in March we were visiting North Wales to celebrate Andrew’s birthday. I had planned two very different night’s accommodation in two destinations, in an attempt to see as much of the area as possible in the short 2 day break that we had.

Having enjoyed the delights of Llandudno and Ruthin on day one, we were up early on Day 2 – ready to continue the adventure in Anglesey…

A Secret Escape to North Wales

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About to embark on a caravan holiday to mid Wales, I thought now would be the perfect time to recollect our visit to North Wales earlier in the year.

For Andrew’s birthday back in March, I wanted to treat him to a quick 2-day getaway. We had already covered a lot of the places we had said we wanted to go in the UK last year, so I needed a bit of inspiration.

How to find unique treasures for your home

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Over the last few months, one of the things I have learned is how important it is to have a home that you enjoy coming home to! Sounds pretty obvious right. But since our move back to the city a few weeks ago, Andrew and I have come to realise just how much living in the wrong house can affect your mood.

So, with that in mind, I’ve been concentrating on ways that we can turn our new home into a relaxing retreat, full of the things that are special to us, and the things that make us unique.