My most favouritest time of year.

I know that isn’t really a proper word, but it sums up how I feel about Spring. I know so far, Spring has been a bit hit and miss but, even so, it’s still my favourite. The promise of longer days, sunshine peaking through the grey clouds and little shoots of fresh green growth as the new plants fight their way up from the cold soil into the fresh Spring air.

It’s one of the things I love about living in this country, the beautiful cycle of the seasons. The wonder of new baby animals being born and tiny plants and flowers growing in the Spring, then moving on to lazy sunny days and a full display of bounty and colour in the Summer before slowly winding down into Autumn and finally everything going to bed for the Winter.

As the days get longer, I myself feel a new surge of energy coming out of the Winter months where we have spent most of our time locked inside with the heating on eating chocolate biscuits. I want to get out into the fresh air and explore. Yeah! The little seedlings in the greenhouse are starting to poke their little heads above the dark rich soil that has been keeping them safe and nourishing them – the blossom on the trees is breaking out and it’s so beautiful. The chickens are happier that everything is not just one massive mud bath.

The best days are actually those ones where there is still a slight chill in the air, but it’s really sunny – so you wrap up all warm and the sun hits your face instantly making you feel happy and lucky to be alive. Even better when it’s a walk along the beach, and the pebbles roar with the waves crashing down on them.

It won’t be long before we’re heading over the fields with our picnic basket and the rug, sitting in an open field enjoying the late evening sun with a glass of wine, but that’s another thing altogether!

Love

Lucy’s Life x

Happy Easter!

Hey lovely people – Happy Easter! I’m sat here feeling a little ill, having just eaten a whole chocolate bunny (whoops!), that was meant to be kept until Easter Sunday (double whoops!).

I am so looking forward to the extra long weekend – we have some exciting things planned. An Easter parade in the local village, a trip to the seaside and a fabulously yummy Easter lunch on Sunday (where, no doubt, as usual, we will all eat waaaay too much). After the Easter parade there is a giant, yes GIANT Easter egg hunt (whatever that may be!) and a whole host of other events are going on (including a temporary baby animals zoo on the village green with baby lambs and chicks – too cute).

I am hoping the weather is nice – booooo to all this snow and cold weather. This morning was promising with some sunshine peaking through the clouds – fingers crossed it stays dry and the sunshine makes an appearance. It would be nice to get out for a countryside walk or even get out to plant some bits in the garden. I live in hope. Plus the little baby lambs (and the farmers) could really do with a bit of a break.

What have you got planned for Easter?

Have a wonderful weekend, and I will check in next week with some pictures of the weekend!

love

Lucy’s Life  x

Pretty Monday

 

This pretty Monday is quite appropriate really – I only get through Monday mornings by drinking copious amounts of caffeine! I’m actually more of a tea drinker, but I do enjoy a milky coffee every now and again and Monmouth is a superb coffee.

I’ve started to collect this tea set also, it’s proper bone china & I always feel a bit posh drinking from the tea cups. It’s little blue flowers are so very cute. There’s something about brining out the “for best” china, that adds a sense of occasion to the event – even if it’s just Monday morning coffee.

Ciao ciao!

Lucy’s Life x

I believe we should all be a bit kinder, and a little more forgiving.

 

In an age where perfection is strived for in every area of life, we’re often quite critical of non-perfect. Both of ourselves and of others. But life isn’t perfect, and neither are we.

Today I’m going to try to have a “be kind to people day”. Not because I’m normally an unkind person, but just because we all need to be shown kindness every now and again. That kindness doesn’t have to be a huge act, maybe even just holding the door open for someone – but it’s about being aware and thinking of other people around you.

I love reading those stories of random acts of kindness, and just think how much better life could be if everyone took a moment every now and again and did something that will make someone else smile, or feel loved or appreciated.

It gives me a warm fuzzy happy feeling just thinking about it.

Have a wonderful day,

Lucy’s Life

Oh, and I thought I’d share some more pictures that I came accross and really love 🙂

 

 

 

Welcome to the family!

Sadly one of our chickens went to chicken heaven last week – Doreen was an old lady and had lived a blessed chicken life, scratching around our garden and diggin up all of Daniel’s carefully planted vegetables. This departure left little Elsie all alone. Chickens are flock animals and don’t like being on their lonesome (but, hey, who does really?!), so we headed out Saturday to find her a couple of new roommates. It’s not been an easy process – turns out Elsie DOES NOT like change.

We started the weekend by heading out for some breakie, and took Baby Milo with us to give my sister a bit of a break. I had my usual – two mushrooms topped with poached eggs, spinach, holondaise sauce and bacon whilst Daniel (predictably) had the regular farmers’ breakfast (my boy loves a good regular fry-up). Milo kept us entertained sat in his highchair throwing EVERYTHING he could get his hands on, on the floor.

After breakfast we headed to this little farm to find some new chicken friends- we wanted some regular brown hens but we also saw some rare breed chickens with the most funky hairstyles and a couple of cute fat pigs – they snorted really loudly and Baby Milo didn’t like it one bit *screaming baby*.

We chose two little hens and named them Gerty and Audrey and we couldn’t wait for them to meet Elsie. Elsie proceeded to greet her new pals by pecking them a.l.o.t. Oh dear. Poor Gerty and Audrey were terrified! Despite a stern telling off, Elsie totally ignored me and continued to bully the new arrivals. Finally we decided that maybe we should try a new approach, so as we speak they now have a piece or perspex dividing the pen and fingers crossed Elsie is going to chill out soon and start to be a more gentle host.

Who would have guessed this thing could be such a naughty monster?!

Rest in peace Doreen,

Lucy’s Life x

 

Pretty Monday

We had some unexpected bad weather earlier this week, the world went and dumped a whole load of snow on Sussex without warning. I was slightly confused as in my mind, we were in Spring…not the depths of Winter. These little fellas just about survived being buried in snow for a couple of days – they were a little droopy and sad for a bit then perked up their little heads once they decided the horrid cold was gone. Yeah!!!

Daffodils are such a welcome arrival for me – their bright yellow happy faces signaling that we are over the worst of winter (or at least, normally we are – I live in hope that sunshine is around the corner).

I hope they brighten your Monday morning,

Lucy’s Life x

I believe….good food = happiness

If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a bit of a foodie. I’m that person that sits eating her supper, whilst simultaneously watching a cooking programme and reading a cookery book, talking to my husband about what to have for dinner tomorrow night. I can’t help it. My whole family is the same. ALL we talk about is food. Our cookbook collection is staggering. My guilty pleasure if a few hours sat going through some of the amazing food blogs out there (number one has to be Sprouted Kitchen with Cannelle et Vanille a close second…oh, but then there are also so many others I love!).

I’m also very conscious of the wider picture too when it comes to food. Where did it come from, how did it get here, how was it produced, how is it cooked, what does it provide my body with that I need? Give me a couple of days of eating junk food (which doesn’t happen often), and I feel awful. If I eat well, I sleep well, feel happier, more energised, more positive. Every cell in your body comes from the food we eat, and I believe that if I eat good quality fresh food, I’m a happier, more balanced person.

It’s one of the few areas in life that I am seriously passionate about – I’m glad that as a nation there is a movement back towards more locally grown proper food, incentives to get people cooking at home and educating children about food, but it makes me sad that there is still so much ignorance about something so integral to life.

At home we eat home cooked meals, made from scratch at least six out of seven nights a week. We grow our own fruit and vegetables in the summer. We are fortunate enough to have friends and family that share our passion for growing, preparing and eating good food – and for these things I am grateful.

It’s the beginning of the growing season, and our greenhouse is starting to offer up some seedlings which promise to provide an array of beautiful, healthy, colourful, tasty, nutrient rich vegetables throughout the next few months and I can’t wait for those first few crops of baby vegetables, eaten on a sunny day in the garden – delicious.

So, whatever you have planned this weekend, I hope you have fun and I hope you eat well and it makes you happy too.

Lucy’s Life x

I *heart* Sundays

My favourite day by far, is Sunday. Friday evening is great – finished work, start of the weekend but chill out time is limited. Saturdays are “to do” days. Cleaning – check. Grocery shopping check. Gym – check. Catch up with friends for drinks and supper…busy busy busy.

Sundays are relaaaaaaaaax days. Daniel plays golf every Sunday – he sneaks off early and I get to have a totally lazy morning. It’s the only day I don’t feel guilty about opening my eyes and then thinking “nahhhh – not getting up – going back to sleep”. Snooze. The ONLY thing better than a lazy Sunday, is a lazy Sunday brunch *heaven*.

It being Mothers Day on Sunday meant I got to spend my Sunday morning with mum, sister Robyn and nephew Baby Milo (it’s what we call him “baby” Milo – not just Milo – just in case it’s not obvious he’s a baby!) – we rolled out of bed about 10am and then headed for The General in Ditchling which served up a delicious brunch accompanied by endless cups of tea. I ate this amazing portabella mushroom eggs benedict which was exactly what I needed to make my tummy happy. We chatted for ages about nothing in particular and didn’t really want the morning to end.

After brunch – oh my, we were lazy. Back home, back on with the PJs and I curled up on the sofa with Daniel and the cat and watched toooo much telly. In fairness it was freezing, and I was still sleepy after a busy first week at work and the fair – no doubt I will make up for it next weekend and venture out into the garden…if this snow EVER gives up and goes back to where is came from.

Hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day,

Love Lucy’s Life x

Pretty Monday

Every Monday we all need something pretty to look at because Mondays are always:

1. Too quick to come around

2. Too early

3. Too long

3. Too boring!

This is a little purchase I made a few weeks ago – we call it the “Dodo of Love” – it’s by Hello Dodo, who are a fab printing duo based in Brighton that make really beautiful prints, cards and other bits. Take a look at their website and you will see what I mean – http://hello-dodo.blogspot.co.uk/.

Happy Monday!

Lucy’s Life x

First week of new job…DONE

Oh my, what an exhausting week. Properly exhausting. New jobs are always tiring – you work on a different level, meeting new people, trying to remember names, making sure you impress, trying to remember where your desk is so you don’t wander around the maze of corridors and officess until you admit defeat and have to ask someone where you should be going (this happened more than once…).

Add to the mix a much longer commute, getting lost on my way home from work three (yes – THREE) times, a five month old baby screaming a few times through the night (Baby Milo, my sister & her husband are staying with us at the moment due to a housing issue) and the fact that my last job involved exactly zero work so I am not used to using my brain – no wonder I feel like someone has removed my brain and replaced it with marshmallows.

So, after a week like that what does any NORMAL person do? Relax, chill out? Or do a tea room at The Fairy Tale Fair serving lots of people tea and cake all day?

My passion is baking – especially pastry, so every now and again I do a tea room or stall at a food fair. This one was at The Fairy Tale Fair which is a really cute fair made up from some excellent crafters who sell such a huge range of handmade items such as cards, toys, bags, pictures and loads more. Daniel and I spent most of Thursday and Friday night plus very early Saturday morning baking – homemade sausage rolls, spiced chickpea pasties, beef curry pasties, caramalised apple cakes, banana cake, Oreo cookie cake, apple & olive oil cake (which was a.m.a.z.i.n.g), carrot cake and victoria sponge. We sold out by 3pm!

The best cake was the apple and olive oil cake which was an Ottolenghi reciepe – it was perfect – moist and light and very moorish. Yummy.

The fair was Easter themed, so hence the baby chicks, easter eggs on stick and….the bunny ears! The fair is aimed at children so its great to make an effort although Daniel wasn’t so sure about the whole bunny ears thing.

I thought he looked adorable in his bunny ears! Anyhow, after the first week at work and then running about yesterday, I am now totally exhausted! I’ve spent the whole day mooching about on the sofa after a leisurely brunch with mum, and it’s going to be an early bedtime for me.

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and weekend too.

Love

Lucy’s Life x