Full nights sleep? What's that?

This Saturday is my friend Deborah's wedding. I'm very excited. Beth is too, it'll be her first wedding.

Beth's outfit for the wedding on Saturday

The reception will be held in the picturesque Cabra Castle and we will be staying over. However, there will be no sleep ins for us. At 11am the next day, we will head off to Dublin Airport for our flight at 2pm. We'll wing our way to Blackpool, arriving at 3pm and picked up by my Dad. 

The following day, at 2pm, we'll watch Dad marry his partner Imelda. Beth will be flower girl. She can't wait to dress up like a princess.

This is her flower girl dress.
There will be a gold ribbon around it to tie in with their colour scheme.

We'll be staying in Blackpool until Wednesday. Tuesday we will relax, explore a bit and spend time with my Dad, who plans to move to the Philippines in two weeks. He has lived there before and we keep in contact via Facebook.

The problem is this is the first time I'll be taking Beth away on my own. Last year, when we went to Spain, I had my sister to help with everything. Now, it's just me and a little girl who thinks she's a teenager. I'm having nightmares every night where Beth disappears, or something happens (in one dream, she was spirited away by penguins!!). Deep down I know everything will be fine but my over active imagination likes to play havoc with my stress levels. I need rescue remedy or failing that, a stiff drink!

In other news:

I'll be in the local paper, the Argus, today. A little piece on my book, now for sale in Carroll's Book Shop, Dundalk (Ireland, not Maryland). I'll also be doing a reading at Dundalk's Book Festival in the Panama Cafe on the 27th April. 

Lastly:

Current weight: 10st 6lb

Total loss: 5lb

Goal: 10st

I've started working on my flabby arms. They tend to jiggle a bit. I don't have weights so I'm just using two tins from the press. No results so far but hopefully soon. I can feel the aches when typing!

Two weddings, three days!

Although I knew my Dad was planning to get remarried soon, I was not expecting the phone call on Saturday to say he booked the minister for 15th April. While this is great news, I also have a wedding on the 13th April!

On the 13th April, my very good friend is getting married. Beth and I have been looking forward to this day for months. We've had our outfits planned and our little jobs at the wedding assigned. The ceremony is in a little village outside Dundalk and then on to Cabra Castle in Cavan. We are also staying the night in Cabra Castle. I can't wait as it is supposed to be fantastic!

On the 14th April, we will leave Cabra at around 11.30am (before check out!!) and head to Dublin airport. There, we will catch a plane to Blackpool, UK. It'll be our first flight just the two of us. Arriving in Blackpool at 3pm, we'll then be picked up and brought to the hotel for Beth to meet Dad's future wife's family. I have met some but not all. Will be fun.

On the 15th, at 2pm, Dad and his partner will tie the knot. I'm not sure where the reception will be yet but, undoubtedly, it will be great craic.

It'll be a busy few days for the two of us!

On weight loss news...

Current weight: 10st 7lb

Total loss so far: 4lb

Goal: 10st

Writerly news:

Interview with Gerry Kelly, Late Lunch on LmFm 95.8 Tuesday 2nd April

Progress, however small, is still progress

I was going to do a weekly update about my weight loss but I'm here now so might as well give an update. I'm down 1lb. It's not much but I always believe slow and steady wins the race. Besides, I'm not going to starve myself and Easter is this weekend...

Current Weight: 10st 10lb

Goal: 10st

In other writerly news, I'm going to be interviewed on the local radio LmFm next Tuesday, 2nd April and my books will be on sale in an actual bookshop this week! Very exciting.

Would you believe it's STILL winter here. As I write this, snow is pelting against the window. Unfortunately, it's not sticking but it sure is purty :-) This time last year I had a BBQ in my back garden for my family! Global warming my bum! ;-)

The Demesne, Dundalk (IRE not MD) 

Weight loss....AGAIN

When I started this blog, back in 2010, I was a good bit overweight, around the 13st mark (82kg) and at 5 foot 3 inches, it really showed. I hated going out or buying new clothes. I generally wasn't happy with how I looked but hadn't the will power to do anything about it. Then I saw this...

October 2010

I started Weight Watchers a week later and after about fourteen months I received my gold membership, which is reaching your goal weight and maintaining it. After ten months, I was happy with how I looked again and started to be complacent. That is why it took another four months to reach my goal.

At my 30th birthday, ten months after I started WW (40lb lost)

With my gold membership, I could have gone to meetings for free but I got lazy. Last April, weighing 9st 10lb, I stopped going. This was a bad idea because I have a very unhealthy relationship with food. I can't simply have just one biscuit, sweet or crisp. I have to have the whole lot. I can't have anything sweet in the house at all, I'll just devour it.

So now, after nearly a year, I finally weighed myself again.... 10st 11lb! Yikes! All my clothes are tight on me again and I could kick myself for letting it go on so long. It's not so noticeable at the moment because I can wear baggy clothes for the bad weather but Summer is coming (in Ireland, Summer usually happens for a week in April, and that's it) and I've a wedding in three weeks!

So, here I go again... Homemade soups and low calorie snacks. No chocolate, alcohol or any sweets. It'll be a bland few weeks/months.

St. Patrick's Day, do you like the new fringe?

Starting weight: 10st 11lb
Goal: 10st (for the moment)

Today's Menu:
Low calorie yogurt and fruit
Homemade vegetable soup
Lasagna (Not exactly low fat but it'll balance out the day)

Feel free to pass on any low calorie snack ideas you have. There is a recipe for 3pp scones on my blog. I'll be baking them with Beth tomorrow.

Moving House

I have been a bit quiet lately because we have moved house. Monday was my last day in the old house and I was manic trying to clean everything and move out the last bits. Thankfully, I'd most of my stuff already moved. My sister helped me with three runs in the car on Sunday. Fair play to her because on Monday she flew to Dubai to start a year of travelling the world with her partner. I miss her already.

This is just a short post to say I'll be returning soon to update on my new house and everything else going on in my life. 

Moving house isn't easy...

Thirteen pairs of shoes/boots/runners!! Twice as many as me!

Playroom mid-move

Playroom almost sorted

There's great drying out

Finally, the sun has returned to Ireland. For months we had terrible weather but now it looks like Spring has finally sprung. It's wonderful and I'm in a better mood for it. Not that I was in a bad mood but a bit of sunshine always makes me feel good and I can put my washing outside on the line again.

I do love Winter though. The long nights, warm soups and, of course, Christmas. January, I can survive if it is cold and dull but it was starting to drag a bit.

Now is the time for planting seeds, time to have a clear out and time to move house. Yes, I am moving house. I had been thinking of it for a long while. I love my current house but the rent is steep. I never have any spare money. But that's all going to change in three weeks. I can't wait. My current house no longer feels like 'home'.

I moved in here just over three years ago when Beth was only four months old. She crawled, walked and said her first words in this house. I've loads of great memories from all the firsts, christening celebrations, birthday parties and this is where I finally settled down to do what I've always dreamed of doing, writing.

However, I'm not sad to leave. It just feels like a new beginning. Beth spent her baby/toddler years here but now she is a little girl and has different needs. I want to live somewhere that has more of a community to it. Where I am now, there are no front gardens, I barely know my neighbours and as Beth gets older there is no way I'd let her leave the house even if her friend just lived a few doors down. The cars race up and down this narrow road. Our new street has ramps to slow down cars, we have a front garden/driveway, people say 'hello' to each other when they pass you by! It is only a ten minute walk from where I currently live but feels so different.

The park near our new house.

In other news, I passed my driving theory test last week. Also, I didn't make it through the pitch round in the ABNA. No great loss. I'm still working on the new book. I hope to be finished mid-March. It's going well. A much bigger project than Bleeker Avenue.

Has Spring arrived in your part of the world?

Yummy Cookies

Thought it was time for another recipe. This one is really easy and wow, they are yummy!

The Great Helper

6 oz melted and cooled butter

6oz dark brown sugar

4oz sugar

Pinch salt

5ml vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1.5tsp baking soda

14 oz plain flour

Chocolate chips (I just used a 100g bag)

Bag of M&Ms

Pre-heat oven 180C/Gas mark 4

1. Mix butter, sugars and salt until smooth

2. Add vanilla and eggs and mix very well

3. Add baking soda and flour to the bowl. Mix until just combined

4. Add chocolate chips and stir until well mixed through

5. Roll into small balls, place on a well greased baking tray and put M&M's on top

6. Bake for 12 minutes. Watch for the sides starting to brown and take out. The centers will still look puffy and pale but that's how they're supposed to look. Place on wire rack to cool.

The Finished Product

Enjoy :-)