Weekly Wisdom

The Saturday Update

We've had a really good week with Dad here. Last weekend we stayed with Nico's parents', celebrating his uncle's 50th.

We worked Monday to Wednesday and Dad did a few nursery runs. Dad and Isabella had a great time together, she was very upset when he left this morning.

We saw another colleague leave for retirement on Wednesday. It's crazy how the staff has changed at school over the last five years.

On Thursday we had a quiet day doing jobs while Isabella was at nursery. Then we took her to the library for the first time.

The plan was to go swimming on Friday and we kept her off nursery but she was a bit unwell so we stayed home, played in the garden and went to the Greek for dinner.

We've also booked our next trip with Grandad - Stockholm at Easter!

January Goals Review

This month flew! Here's the progress I made with my goals this month.

• Read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying - done!
• Date night - done!
• Run once per week - not even once...
• Scan the family history certificates - done!
• Write two letters - done!
• Sew, knit, journal - knitting and journaling, yes, no sewing yet...
• Family photo - done!

Children's Library

Today, Isabella got her first library card! We finally went to the evening session at the library. Our library is in the local high school so we got to have a little look around too.

I think the librarian was surprised that we were starting so young but I think it's important and Isabella enjoyed it.

The children's section was a little overwhelming but we found two books. One with animal sounds and one about a red bobby car.

Next I'd like to take her to one of the monthly story telling sessions!

No bake Gluten-free Lemon Bars

I've been following Kale and Chocolate on Instagram for a while for a bit of diet inspiration. This is the first recipe I've tried though, and I'll definitely be looking out for more.

It's basically ground cashew nuts and dates. It fits in with paleo and makes a good, filling snack. Nico had to put it through the meat grinder as the food processor couldn't deal with the dates but otherwise it worked really well. Perfect for on the go.

Reading Review

The Woman in White

The latest from the classics list, I read this one for free through the Kindle app.

It's an older story, set in the 1800s but it was unlike any other I have read. It's a crime novel told from the points of view of several different characters.

I feel like it was almost ahead of its time in how it was written, but the content fits to the time and it kept me guessing until the end.

The Little Prince

Another from the BBC list, I was quite looking forward to this one. It's a children's book and was a quick read. It's a nice little story of a prince who comes to Earth and passes on some of his life lessons.

I did find it sweet and amusing but I also found myself wondering how children were supposed to understand it. I think it's linked to the fact that it was written in 1945.

I'm saving it for when Isabella is older.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

I read about this one through one of the blogs I read and bought it for my mum and me. It was another quick read and very interesting.

The book introduces a principle and is therefore less practical than I expected. However, I did like the theory. It's based around keeping things that 'spark joy' and getting rid of the rest. I would love to do this but I can't afford to replace so many things - the clothes that spark joy in me would not last until wash day.

When I'm out of debt I will be revisiting this one.

Make It Monday - February Birthday Cards

It felt good to get back into the card making today. I used up some of my stock with some ideas I've used before.

The new one, and my favourite this time is the dark red butterfly one for my friend Charlotte.

I still like using the stars for less feminine styles and the names, while basic, make it personal.