Getting a bit nippy

Morning,

It's Monday again can't believe how quickly the weekend flies by. Now I've decided to take a new approach to this blog, which some of you may have noticed already. I'm going to try and give an update each Monday and that way hopefully I'll have some interesting bits to speak about from the week before. Sometimes on special occasions there may be an extra post but that's what I'm working towards so far.

Well as you can see from the picture above it's getting a bit nipper here and winter will soon be upon us in full flow. But what a better way to spend part of the weekend than with a log burning fire, lots of tea and some books.

Update on books to beginning with. Right so I was reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer
 
Now to begin with I was really enjoying the book, obviously the title gives it away with it being a twist on the Cinderella story so you pick up on influences of this straight away. But I was really enjoying the premises of the story. I was loving the whole cyborg element and Cinder herself is a really great protagonist. I wanted to find out more about her and how she was going to get through, however it just started to become too predictable. It began to get so predictable that I started skim reading and I was able to keep up with it all and even know exactly what I would come across. I know a lot of people would say well what did you expect when your already familiar with the Cinderella tale but I just felt that even though so much was done in the beginning to create a new premise that I was just really disappointed. I don't know if I will pick up Scarlet at this point but I wouldn't rule it out completely as I did enjoy Cinder as a character but I just won't be doing it yet. Will probably be one for filling in a gap. I give this book 2 out 5. But I would recommend it if you are particle to the Cinderella tale and looking for a new version and style of it. I would also recommend it for younger readers also maybe those aged 12/13.
But now as I've finished Cinder that does mean I get to start this tonight:
 
I cannot wait to start reading this as I'm in the mood for something a little different. So I think this will just do the trick. I have heard nothing but raving reviews for this book that as you will see from my previous post I bought all three Stephanie Perkins at once so I just hope it lives up to the hype and I don't regret it. 

So other bits which have gone on this week/weekend. 

I didn't get round to doing anymore sewing this week which I'm frustrated with myself about so I must catch up this week so I'm at the next stage for the weekend when I hope Mum is going to be coming over to do the backs of the covers with me and then I can do the quilting bits of it before joining the back to the front and job done, will just be a case of going and getting the inners.

We went and babysat for my niece on Saturday night, we were tied to the farm as we were milking on Saturday. So did normal duties in the morning, and did a couple more jobs before heading to Waitrose to get a food shop and then back for lunch and the England Rugby game which involved a lot of shouting at the tv and just general screams haha. Then onto evening milking before heading over to my parents where we were looking after my niece. As she's familiar with my parents and has her own room there so figured she would be a lot more settled if we stayed there with her rather than bring her out to the farm.
My niece is completely obsessed with my husband at the moment, she didn't want to the read the book with me she would take it and go straight to him, when we gave her a bath she wanted us both there, and then she has a little routine of watching an episode of In the Night Garden before heading up to bed and well as you can see...

There was only one person she wanted to watch it with. But that's all fine with me she is so cute and it's so nice that she likes husband so much and he's very good with her playing games, looking at books and so I don't mind at all and I knew I was having my time with her in the morning. Husband had to escape back to the farm early in the morning to do jobs so was just me and her playing and dancing and singing, she loves Frozen and has a doll which sings the let it go song and she's just so darn cute.

After getting back on Sunday morning Hubby and I popped to a farmers market which is held at a local pub every second Sunday of the month and it's always exciting to go along (have only been twice haha)so we got some fresh produce and some mackerel to have for tea tonight after milking so really looking forward to that. We're trying to loose a bit of weight at the moment so I'm on 1300 calories a day, have only been following this for a week and so far I've lost about 3lb which I'm pleased with and hopefully can keep this up until at least the new year and we are only planning on having 4days off in between now and then. My husbands birthday on 26th, we're going to the BBC Good Food Winter Show on 30th and then Christmas Day and Boxing Day. My aim is to have lost 8lb by Christmas which I'm hoping and thinking should be a realistic goal to have so just have to wait and see and keep trying. 

After we got back from the farmers market it was onto a practical task. As the first picture shows we have a log burner which helps to heat our flat (we don't have an central heating). So we took a trip down to the wooded area at the bottom of one of our fields to fill a trailer with logs for keeping us warm. The boys had been down some previous years to cut some lengths and so the wood is well seasoned and so was just a case of chopping them up into more manageable sizes.

Now this is definitely a job for Husband, I help by stacking up the logs in the trailer and driving down, I helped a little bit but I'm quiet scared of the saw bench (rightfully so) I just stick to the other bits of the task keeps us all happy then. So on the way I drove the Gator and empty trailer and well lets just say it was a little bit wet and muddy in places and I wasn't allowed to drive that back so I drove the tractor and saw bench back. Another thing I like to do while we're down there is take cute pictures of these

They came down for a run around and a play, but they are also very well behaved as we tell them to stay in the back of the gator when everything else is going on to keep them safe and out of the way. But look how cute they are just so lovely, have a couple of close up pics of them as well.

So we got a whole trailer full of wood again which will hopefully help keep us nice and warm for a few more weeks before we have to take another trip down and chop some more. It's a nice task to do really.

Had a nice relaxing evening where we drank tea (not just normal I'm trying out some different fruit teas at the moment and the two I've tried so far have been rather nice and well they smell so great) and I read while Hubby watched tv. Sunday's tends to be our day together which is always nice and means we actually get a good block of time together. 

I think that's everything but if I remember anything else I'll either add a post or include it in next week's. Bye for now and hope everyone is enjoying the move into Winter and the Christmas period (I am :) )