L A T E L Y

• A few weeks ago I did something pretty unusual for me. I climbed Ben Arthur. And it's given me a serious taste for hiking. In fact, I'm so excited for dusting off those walking boots that I'm Google imaging the Bidean nam Bian every second day and excitedly making plans to tackle my first Munro with Felicity up in Skye next year. Roll on spring!
• I am all about the retro sweets right now. And when I say 'all about' what I mean is stuffing endless drumstick lollies in my gob in front of the telly when Ava's at her Dads. I'll diet in January.
• Gin garnished with lemon & fresh rosemary, long soak in a hot bubble bath using Philosophy's Snow Angel, my favourite charcoal face mask & a Shearer Candle's Amber & Rose burning on the windowsill. Heaven.
• Gorgeous shot of Loch Long on a grey and moody morning before Kirsty & I made our way back to Glasgow after a night spent in Arrochar. I have a London trip planned for January & then my mum home for two weeks in February which means I won't get my next Scottish road trip fix until March (when I head up to the Isles of Glencoe hotel in Ballachulish). I'm already going silently mad being stuck in the city so fingers crossed I can wait that long...

• Superfood, super tired, super let's just see what's in the fridge and then shove it all on a plate salad made the other night because I decided that you can turn any salad into a 'winter' salad if you add roasted butternut squash. Fact.
• I've been catching up with Sarah lots recently and she was kind enough to get the fire burning for our little night in with the kids the other week. So cosy! I have all the house envy...
• Amazing hog roast during a recent visit to Eden Mill Farm to check out their Christmas Fayre with the kids. 
• And the aforementioned hog, served in a toasted brioche with lashings of sweet apple sauce. That lunch totally hit the spot.

• Celebrating St Andrews Day with a spicy haggis baked potato (with a mountain of garlicky spinach hidden underneath) and a nip of Bruichladdich. Which I enjoyed in the bath. Obviously.
• Trying to get those kids to pose when they are just not interested might be the most impossible task of the day. I was still pretty soppy watching Ava and her wee pal doing their gymnastics display a couple of Saturday's ago. Looks like all that forward roll practising she does around the flat may finally be paying off ;)
• Trying to get all the good fats in before the gout inducing indulgence of Christmas. Which is pretty pointless when you spend the hour after you've eaten your healthy dinner stuffing your face with drumstick lollies...
• New Eden Mill Gin cocktails, which taste amazing! I massively recommend you get some in for Christmas.

• One of the coolest castles I've ever visited, even if it did entail a very muddy & non-signposted 20 minute walk with a whining 5 year old. Kilchurn Castle isn't the easiest to find, but it is unbelievably worth it.
• Another open fire, this time enjoyed during a recent stay with friends at the Lochnell Arms Hotel. We first stayed here a couple of months ago with my mum and we liked it so much we decided to go back up for the Oban Winter Festival. 
• Steak pie & chunky chips. Pub grub at it's finest. I will finally cook that Sunday roast I've been banging on about for the past 6 weeks...
• Beautiful shot taken of Loch Awe on the way home from Oban. I'm not sure if I need Lochs Anonymous, Castles Anonymous or just simply Scotland Anonymous, but someone needs to stage an intervention for this obsessive nature of mine ;)

• Ready for the office Christmas party, which was held at SWG3 & ended up getting messy. Very, very messy...
• Drinking beers in the Dog House before a wander round the Christmas markets. This bar always make me feel Christmassy, probably because I went there with pals a lot last year when Ava stayed with her Dad after Christmas.
• I enjoyed two very festive nights in over the weekend with friends coming over on both Friday & Saturday night to join Ava and I for mince pies, pigs in blankets and lots of party food. Not sure if it was all the Stilton or the fact my entire living room is currently littered with fairy lights, but it got me feeling very ready for Christmas
• Strapatsada enjoyed for brunch this morning (Greek style scrambled eggs with grated tomato, oregano & feta). I'm now off to get ready for a Wagamama dinner then a trip to The Hydro to see all my favourite bands perform for a Clyde One gig & I'm properly excited!

I've made a promise to myself to blog more over the festive period but we shall see if that actually happens. If not then I hope every single one of you has a majorly great Christmas! And if you haven't been good for Santa, then I hope you have a very good explanation ;)

Merry Christmas everyone.

X