Easter Sun Day

Having noted via Mrs B's Facebook status this morning that Easter is in fact another pagan festival stolen by Christianity, I didn't feel too guilty that we skipped church today in favour of worshipping the Gods of Food and Shopping!

A chance reading of a local freebie magazine last week brought the Reading Vintage Fair to our attention, so plans were made for a family trip out. Top tip, if you want to eat out in Reading on a Sunday lunch time, go for Easter Sunday! With the shops closed, most of the eateries were almost empty, giving Lily ample choice of where to go. She settled on Nando's and, as you can see, took great delight in studying the menu:



Note, if you will, the blurred hand waving with some vigour at the thought of her first tentative steps up the "Peri-ometer"!

All chickened up and ready to go, we headed over to The Purple Turtle - one of Reading's most famed drinking establishments. The last time I was in here was to celebrate a certain Mr Keeble's birthday in December 2009. I only have a hazy recollection of the evening but I have a very sharp memory of finding out a few days later that I was expecting Lily. Fortunately she doesn't seem any the worse for the experience, but there did seem to be a look of slight recognition on her face as we walked in!



The usual bar stools and table football had been moved aside for stalls selling vintage dresses, handbags, jewellery, padlock keys (!) and all sorts of other bits and bobs. There was so much to choose from I didn't know where to start. Lily stole the show as usual and when one stall holder commented on her abundant locks, we couldn't walk away without buying her first hair clips.

Thinking with our stomachs as usual, attention turned to The White Rabbit Bakery stand, selling tea and the most beautiful cupcakes. Where once we bought everything in pairs we now have to buy in threes, or in this case rather conveniently, two and a halfs.



Baby-led weaning is really going well and Lily got stuck in!



The next fair is on Sunday May 29th. Definitely one for the calendar!

Back to work...

So, the time is nearly here. I've had to start thinking this week about my return to work. Not just as something away in the future, but actually soon.

To be honest I have really mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I can see all the benefits. Financially, obviously, and also maintaining my career, using my degree and training and so on. But on the other hand I would be completely happy at this point to stay at home full time with Lily and never think about work again. I know it's a difficult choice that all mums have to go through at this point, but somehow that doesn't make it any easier.

For us, financially, there is no choice. To continue our lifestyle as we have it now, I need to work (not that our lifestyle is lavish by any means). I remember a friend once saying to me "you always have a choice, you just might not like the choice you have". How true that is!

One thing that really had been playing on my mind was feeding Lily. At the moment we are currently in the throes of baby-led weaning, which means she is starting on some solids but is also still breast fed. I love breastfeeding her, and having come this far really was starting to worry at the thought of giving up before she was ready. Working a good 30 minutes from home seemed to make that inevitable. However recently I've had my thoughts on that one changed, firstly by reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (a fantastic book which should be recommended reading for all expectant mums who plan to breastfeed, I wish I had read it 6 months ago) and also by watching Is Breast Best? on BBC3 the other night. Both of them have great examples of woman managing to work whilst continuing to breastfeed.

There are still a lot of issues and feelings for me to work through, but that's at least one weight off mind!

Happy Days (Signs of Summer Pt 2)

Lily's had a few firsts today.

First excursion in New Hat:



First time (for ages!) catching up with Malcolm, Georgie and Molly :)

And... first BBQ! All a bit spur of the moment after a day of socialising and shopping (for Lily and me) and socialising and kitchen demolition (for Steve)....

Beverages organised:



Food organised:



Chilling out before dinner:





Food time:





It was all just too much fun for some:



Our little impromptu al fresco dinner was a great way to end a busy day and a good reminder to make time in our hectic lives to enjoy these small moments together.

Photos brought to you today by the letters S t e v and e.

These are a few of my favourite things...

Less philosophy today and just some nice things. Been a bit of a long day so here are a few random things that keep me going!

My Daddy Cooks - brilliant website where you can watch Nick and Archie having fun in the kitchen. I'm looking forward to the book coming out soon! Which leads me on to...

...Baby-led Weaning - my (and Lily's) new passion. It's a good thing I don't mind a bit of mess! Talking of food...

...Cote d'Or Chocolate - the one good thing about Steve's many recent trips to France has been a regular supply of this. Talking of Steve...

...Cherry blossom - our Cherry in our front garden is just about to bloom, just ready for some of those Japanese style pics of the camper with the Sakura in the background. There's a name for these style of pics. I forget but Steve will know...

... Steve will also know that I will be heading to Desigual next time we are in Barcelona! ;)

Told you it was a random selection!