Blog Every Day in May: Traditions

I love a good tradition.  Coming from a military family, there was a healthy whack of tradition to what we do.  To this day I still spring to my feet the moment the national anthem plays.  Which was quite embarassing in our Jubilee concert rehearsals last year, as my whole form rolled their eyes at me when I was the only person to do so.  Well hang it.  It's tradition.

Springing to one's feet for the monarch notwithstanding, my school is fairly traditional, and I love the fact that it is.  Our boys wear uniform, learn how to place their cutlery at the end of the meal, the importance of taking their turn - for the good and the less-good things in life, and how to approach exams.  They also stand for an adult entering the room....a small and uber-traditional touch which I LOVE.  From not really having an opinion on such things, I now am convinced that this is important in setting the tone for the classroom and the lesson.  We operate as a school with respect for all members of our team, but that standing up at the start of lessons is a subtle cue to all of the expectations of the study ahead.  It might not work for every school....for our bright, keen boys it definitely does!

In my personal life there are certain traditions I like to keep.  Thank you notes for favours, parties and gifts (I fell off the wagon a little with this in the past eighteen months but am getting back into it).  Sunday lunch or dinner as a focal point in the week.  The weekend phone call to my parents, springing naturally from the weekend letter home they would make us write at boarding school.

We also have a few traditions here at home too - catching up over a cup of tea at the end of a day.  Cards on Valentines (but no gifts) and a meal out on any day but the 14th February.  The early morning texts (Matthew and I started out as a long distance relationship, and this habit remains).  And the many, many Christmas traditions - the drinks party, the meal, the stocking, the twelve days gifts.

For someone who's also a self-confessed hippy at times, I do love me a tradition!

Friends

So, I didn't blog yesterday.  But as I am shockingly verbose and prolific on here anyhow, I'm betting that makes next to no difference to you ;)  But today I am back on it and writing on Rose's chosen theme for the day - 'best friends'. 

Like many people in their thirties, I don't have a best friend, but instead I have an awesome crew of close friends.  Friends from school, uni, uni again, work, Junior League, Join Me, blogging...the crazy cast of characters in my life never ceases to amaze me and make me so, so grateful.  My friends are awesome - clever, talented, beautiful, cool, loving, kind and funny, funny, funny.

Last weekend Matthew and I were lucky enough to be joined by some of our wonderful friends for our engagement drinks - here's just a small selection of the wonderful people we work, play and hang out with.  These photos really capture the fun of the evening and the laidback vibe :)  Wherever we are, if our friends are there it's a good time.  Looking forward to catching up with even more folk over the summer!

Dan, Henry and Siobhán.

Matthew with Caroline and Sy, two of his work colleagues.  Caroline is a fellow Junior League girl too!

Holly and Lindsey - I've been to both of their weddings as Matthew's guest, am looking forward to seeing them at our wedding next year!

Jane and Kate - two of the kindest, nicest people you'll ever be lucky enough to meet.

I *love* my JLL sisters - Natalie, Lauren, Hayley and Bejay are all so funny and cute.  Bejay came for drinks after a whole day volunteering (alongside Eileen, my friend who has now joined JLL too) - what a trooper!  Later on, still more JLLers were able to make it - what a treat! 

My stunning colleagues, Emer, Jo and Margot - they are the other girl teachers in my building.  I was so pleased they could join us!

Tom, Matthew's cousin Jo and his mum.  It was so wonderful to have Matthew's parents to stay, and their faces when Jo and Tom arrived were a picture.  I really hope we can see more of them , they are a fab couple.

Laura, one of my dearest friends (and one of the many members of my awesome bridal squad) was able to come down for the weekend from Scotland.  She's so sweet and so clever!

I love how well all my friends get on!

Hayley, Rory, Eileen, Dan - I can't wait to party with these lovely people at Rory and Eileen's wedding in two weeks! 

My friends always make me grin.

Alastair and Laura.  Alastair and his lovely girlfriend Emma I first met at Laura and James's new year's eve party.  Laura is impossibly pretty and spit-take funny, and engaged to James, one of Matthew's best men.  James and Laura are also getting married next year! 

Laura, Jo and Aksinia.  I was Laura's maid-of-honour a few years back and Jo gets married in 2014 as well (it's going to be a busy old year!).  Aksinia is a true darling and it was so good of her to pop along after a long days work! 

Jo and I being ridiculous.

My colleagues are such fun!

See?

I truly am blessed to have friends like mine.  Time spent with friends is always a real treat!

Blog Every Day in May: Pampering

Pampering.  Relaxing.  Taking it easy.

For all the busy-ness of London, I am a seasoned pro at chilling out.

I love to block out an hour, an evening, a day, or even a whole weekend to take some time to relax and step back.

Favourite things include:

A long hot bath, preferably while reading a trashy novel or a glossy magazine (Tatler, Grazia, Us Weekly...the bath is no place for cerebral reads!).

A steaming cup of herbal tea and a fun TV programme.

An afternoon in bed with a good book.

A PJ day, full of reading, writing, napping, and far too much Pinterest.

A good haircut.

A girly brunch - huevos rancheros at Giraffe, pancakes and decadence at The Breakfast Club, fruit and coffee chez moi.

Getting my pile of stationery and writing some cards.  I love post and mail!

A good long walk - whether in the sunshine, being whipped by the wind, or getting soaked puddle-jumping, it's always a treat!

Ah, lovely.

I must schedule all of these....soon!

Blog Every Day In May: Life's A Lesson

Now, I'm a teacher.

I love a good lesson.  I like nothing more than picking up a new skill, whether it's a new method for multiplication, a hair styling tip, or some little piece of trivia or knowledge that enlightens and inspires.

So boiling it down to just one lesson is tricky.  Unless I choose to be cliché.

Ah well, cliché it shall be....

The best lesson I've ever learned?

Is be kind.

Be kind to others, to animals, to children, to friends, to family, to your partner, to the people that drive you doollally, to yourself.

(Some of those people are easier to be kind to than others!)

Be kind, even when you're tired or stressed or busy or ill.  Be aware that the energy you put out into the world can be a force for good or for bad.

I slip up.

I get it wrong.

But I'm trying.

To be kind.

Blog Every Day In May: An Impassioned Ode To My Favourite Food

I like food.

I really do.

My hips would be a dead giveaway to this fact.

I love shopping for food, cooking, baking, eating, inventing...I love nothing more than a day in the kitchen followed by an evening around the dining room table.  I am evangelical about good cheese and free range eggs, but can also appreciate the necessary-ness of a  late night curry from time to time (but certainly no time soon - we are healthkicking around here!).

I love restaurants and going out to eat too - from the McFlurry to the finest cut of beef, I'll gladly sample.  From a timid youth of plain and boring foods (indeed, I'm large from far too much cheap meat and cheese and Smartprice pasta and cardboard bread back in the teens and twenties) I'm now much more adventurous foodwise.  Sushi, Thai, Meze, Tapas....I'll give it a whirl.  Unless it's offal.  If it's offal, I'll hide.

However, my very favourite food in the world, the best thing ever, the any-time-any-place-anywhere one?

Is toast.

 I flipping love toast.

A good, yummy slice of quality wholemeal toast makes me a very happy bunny.

Toast with banana.

Toast with beans.

Toast with butter and jam.

Toast with eggs.

Toast with honey. 

Toast with hummus.

Toast with peanut butter.

Toast with tomatoes.

Toast, man.

Toast.

I propose a toast....to toast!*







*Yep, directly after writing this I had some toast for breakfast!