One Day In May

One of my journalistic tasks when I was a features writer at The Liverpool Echo was to compile a "day in the life of" feature.

Although this has been done many times, I used to enjoy getting a glimpse into the lives of people I admired.

I always planned to write my own one day but never got round to it.

As I have got older I have started to appreciate the extraordinariness of my ordinary life.

I am blessed with a husband I have been married to for 23 years, four wonderful children, a mother whose unconditional love knows no bounds, a faithful chocolate labrador and a small selection of good friends.

I am so grateful for my life in all its ordinariness.

Usually I am at work on a weekday but thanks to a week's TOIL I can enjoy some time at home.

So here it is:

One Day in May

6am: Get up and do my P90X routine.
7am: Wake the children and my husband before taking the dog for a walk.
8am: Take the younger two children to school.
9am: Go to Tesco to buy a Union Jack T-Shirt for my son who is leading a Jubilee Party for the children he is working with on placement.
10am: Breakfast (Branflakes, Raisins, Walnuts & Skimmed Milk). Black Coffee.
11am: Re-pot some plants for the garden, tidy the garden and make two trips to the tip.
12pm: Peg out the washing and tidy our bedroom.
1pm: Take the dog out again.
2pm: Lunch (Asparagus Soup  made by my mum, ryvita, cottage cheese and sun dried tomatoes).
3pm: More tidying.
4pm: Drop one son off at school for a revision lesson while picking the youngest two up.
5pm: Collect son from school and nip into Waitrose for wine.
6pm: Make dinner. (Potato wedges, Quorn Steak, Salad, Tzatziki for me, Ravioli and Tomato Sauce for everyone else).
7pm: Take the dog for a walk with my husband and catch up on the day, followed by more tidying before phoning a good friend who has spent the day in hospital with her son.
8pm: Mum comes round for a glass (or two) of wine.
9pm: Watch The Apprentice with the family.
10pm: Wave mum off and watch the Ten O'Clock News with my husband and middle two children.
11pm: Bed.

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow?

I have booked an appointment to get my hair cut tomorrow.

It may be a trim.

It may be something more drastic.

I have been growing it for nearly a year now and still can't decide whether to pursue one last bid for long hair before I get too old or give it the chop.

When I had my hair in a shorter bob it wasn't any easier to manage. My hair is so fine I have to wash it every day.

Although longer hair means I can wash and blow rather than stop and style I do think my shorter hair looked healthier.

Decisions, decisions.

Today I wore: Shoes - Clarks Jeans and Top - Primark Caridgan - Tesco

89 Days To Go

I have completed day one of the Lean P90X today.

Only 89 days to go.

It has taken me a year to take to get started but as my running is going well I decided to take the plunge.

I thought I was fit.

I thought I was flexible.

I thought I was strong.

I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

On all counts.

Let's hope by Day 90 I can manage half of what those guys can do.

I decided to make myself better by wearing my new Zara trousers.
I ordered them after reading about them here.

Back to some more tidying now before I go and watch my youngest play tennis for school.

I wore: Trousers: Zara Vest Top - Primark Blouse - H and M Trainers - Converse Necklace - Fossil

Weekend Away

Just returned from a lovely weekend away to see my brother and his family.

As the weather was almost tropical (for the UK), I raided my summer holiday clothes.

On Saturday we went to see my niece at ballet class in the morning and to my youngest nephew's third birthday in the afternoon.

On Sunday we went to a free music festival in a nearby town.

It was lovely to see my brother, his wife and their three kids - the weather was the icing on the cake.

Saturday

Dress: Mandalay

Shoes: Birkenstock
Dress included in last year's holiday capsule here

Sunday

Skirt: Dorothy Perkins

T-Shirt: H and M

Shoes : Birkenstock
Skirt last worn here

Monday

Dress: French Connection

Shoes: Converse
Last Worn here

Shorts Day

Today is the first day of my two week break.

I have a week's TOIL (Time Off In Lieu) and a week of half term to look forward to.

I am planning to celebrate today with a 10 mile run.

Today is the first day of the year when I have felt warm enough to wear shorts.

Running shorts are the only shorts you will ever see me wearing as I do not have the legs for shorts.

Today I am planning on running in the woods and the beach.

I plan to leave my ipod at home, ignore the time and enjoy the ride however long it takes me.

I wore:

Running Shoes - Brooks

Vest - Nike

Shorts - No idea (they are 10 years old)

Every Sun Has A Cloudy Lining

I was looking forward to a sunny start to the day but I was greeted with a misty morning.

Still, it made my morning run very refreshing.

It is so quiet at college at the moment as the students revise hard for their exams.

I have to admit that I love the cycle of academic life.

I have always considered September to be the start of the new year rather than January.

There is something hopeful about starting a new year when it is still light after work.

Today I wore:

Boots - Clarks

Trousers - Primark

Vest - Dorothy Perkins

Jacket - Zara

Scarf - River Island

Miserable Expression - the weather!

Here Comes The Sun

Yay! It worked.

It was sunny today.

Today was the first 7am shot in the sunshine of the year.

Not much to report today as I am off to make hay while the sun shines.

Hope the sun is shining for you.

I wore:

Boots - Clarks

Skirt and Necklace - Principles

Vest - Gap

Sky Blue Sunday

Did you watch the Champions League Final last night?

Our two youngest watched it with our friends Kev and Denise, their son, Austin and my mum.

A few weeks ago no-one in our  house had a kind word for Chelsea.

Yet last night our family of Reds (Liverpool) became Blues (Chelsea) for the night.

I have to admit it was nowhere on the scale of that day in May 2005 when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down to equalise and eventually won the final on penalties.

That night the whole road was out celebrating, even our chocolate labrador, Harvey did a lap of honour in a Liverpool Scarf.

Last night was nowhere near that day.

But it was fun.

So for one day only here is my celebratory blue tribute.

As for the sun, I am taking advice from Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, to act as if.

I am acting as if the sun is already out.

Or at least showing off my TK Maxx sun glasses purchase.

Can you  believe they were £74 according to the RRP?

I paid just £7.00 for them.

Come on you sun!

Today I wore:

Boots - Clarks

Leggings - Lytesse

Shirt/tunic - Noa Noa

Cardigan - Tesco

Catch Up

I have had computer troubles this week so here is a catch up.

I am getting a little bored of trousers now.

I think I need some sunshine to wear some summer dresses.

Bargain Scarf

Still chilly, thank goodness for summer scarves.

Every time I wear this one someone always asks me where I got it from.

The truth is I picked it upp the floor in River Island during last summer's sale.

I think it cost £5.00 - using the pound per wear foumula I think I am down to pennies now.

Do you have a favourite bargain in your wardrobe?

I wore:

Scarf - River Island

Jacket - Next

Top - H and M

Trousers - Tesco

Chilly Tuesday

Gosh I look grumpy this morning.

The weather isn't get any better.

There was hail as I drove into work today.

I felt so sorry for the kids I had seen cycling to school.

When they left home the sun must have been shining but they were absolutely drenched when the heavens began to open.

In answer to those who asked how I manage to run home without a backpack - it is all in the planning.

The day I plan to run home I take the bus and my running kit.

At hometime I change into my kit and leave my clothes locked in my office.

I always make sure I have my phone and bus fare - just in case I need to hop a ride home.

So far so good.

I managed to knock 2 minutes off my running home time on my latest run.

Tomorrow I will take my kit and go out for a 5 mile lunchtime run.

I have invested in a "shower in a bottle" which is a mositurising bodywash that doesn't need rinsing off.

I just strip, towel and go.

After putting my clothes back on of course!

Today I wore:
Pink Top - H & M
Trousers - H & M
Shoes - Clarks

I Need Sunshine On A Rainy Day

Where is the sun?
Every day I get up and hope that summer, or at least Spring, has arrived.
Instead I am left shivering and reaching in my wardrobe for darker colours.

We have had a couple of days of sunny weather (around 19C) this year.

What is happening?

Tomorrow we hit the mid-May mark.

Come on sun.

Come out to play.

I wore:
Boots - Clarks
Trousers - Primark
Top - Marks and Spencer

Inside Out

I don't normally take pictures of my outdoor look but today I had a little more time.
I was getting the bus to work as I wanted to run home.
Although the sun came out later in the day,  it was a bit chilly waiting for the Number 44 to turn up.
Work is 8.4 miles from my house and it means that I can get a good 80 minute workout before I get home.

I look forward to running home; it helps clear my head and means that when I get home from work I can relax knowing that I have got a good workout in.
Although it is 5 months away from The Liverpool Marathon I am managing to run between 20 and 30 miles a week as a base pace.

Running has also helped me appreciate the unseasonably cool weather which makes it much easier to run in.

Now I've said that - just wait for the heatwave!

I wore:
Boots - Clarks
Skirt - Marks & Spencer
Top - Gap
Jacket - Zara
Scarf - River Island

Bag - TK Maxx

Oonagh Mary Gallagher Born: Feb 15th 1928 Died: May 3rd 2012

Apologies for the absence of posts but my mother in law, Oonagh, passed away yesterday.
Although she had been diagnosed with dementia two years ago she retained her elegance right to the very end.

                                   

                                       Oonagh was the most stylish woman I have ever met.

Whether it was slacks and sweater, mother of the bride, lunch out or Sunday lunch with the family; she always looked immaculate.

 I was always in awe of her elegance and one of my greatest thrills is that, despite having lots of expensive jewllery, in her later years she nearly always wore the cultured pearls I bought for her from the Peal Market in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

                                               It was one of the few things I got right!

I have to be honest, we didn't always have the easiest of relationships.
After all, I had taken away her youngest son.
It wasn't until I had sons of my own that I realised how painful that must have been.
She has had a difficult few years and in many ways her passing is a great relief to those who loved her.
Now I like to imagine her, not as she ended her days, but back in her heyday  in that great ballroom in the sky - finally reunited with her husband.