Keeping busy during the coronavirus lockdown weeks 3 and 4

It doesn't feel like two weeks since my last diary post, a sign of the days blurring into one and becoming very samey no doubt. My momentum has definitely slowed down, particularly this week with the colder, rainy weather. Thankfully though, the sunshine and warmth seems set to return next week. So here's what I've been up to:

1. Cooking
Not much from the ordinary admittedly, but for Good Friday I cooked a Tuscan butter salmon dish with new potatoes and green beans for dinner and made individual jam sponges for dessert. The weather was lovely so we were even able to sit outside and eat. It was a nice start to the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Tuscan butter salmon

2. Gardening
Over the last two weeks I've been sowing more seeds; runner beans and various flowers. Then I discovered it was far too soon for the runner beans and despite only sowing them one week ago, I have seedlings about 10cm tall. Oh dear. It is more than likely too soon for them to be planted out as we could still have frosts in the next month, but on the basis that I have spare seeds to plant, not enough room to keep them indoors and some homemade plastic cloches, I'm going to put them out anyway. My two earliest courgettes are probably a few weeks ahead of schedule too, but again I'll try my best to keep them happy for another couple of weeks and have more seeds if I need to resow.

3. TV
I'm really struggling to find anything to watch on tv at the moment. At a time like this, it would be nice if more cheerful films and programmes were scheduled. The only show I've really been watching is Belgravia which concludes tomorrow evening. Other than that I'm hoping Netflix comes up with some good new releases soon!

4. Reading
I started in my next book, "The Best Boomerville Hotel". I've only read a little but I'm struggling to really get into it. I'm not sure if this is because I'm finding it hard to concentrate and in fairness, I didn't get into the last book I read that quickly either, but ended up really enjoying it. So, perhaps I should give it another go, or move on to the next one and then return to it later on.

5. Easter
As I mentioned earlier, Good Friday was marked with a nice dinner and drinks outside in the sunshine. On Saturday I made a floral centrepiece for the Easter dining table with some ranches for the garden. It wasn't the best decoration, but it brought a little colour inside and brightened up the table.

 On Easter Sunday we had an impromptu egg hunt as a way to burn off a few calories before enjoying some Easter chocolate! I cut out eggs from card and hid them in the garden, so none of the resident wildlife would find the chocolate eggs first! I'd purchased my Easter eggs well before the lockdown when they were on offer, so I had one for everyone :)

That's been about everything. I'm going to try to be more productive next week than I was this week, perhaps some baking and more garden progress hopefully.

Egg hunt - hidden in bluebells!

Keeping busy during the coronavirus lockdown - week 2

This week felt longer (and harder) than the last, in part due to the weather turning cold and windy, meaning almost all day every day was spent in doors. Thankfully this weekend is looking brighter, so I've been tidying the garden up today and hope to get some more seeds planted tomorrow. This is what I've been up to anyway:

1. Reading
I've just finished reading 'dreaming of st Tropez' by T A Williams, which follows twenty-something architect Jess embark on a summer of dreams in the south of France after unexpectedly being let go from her job. It was a light, easy and uplifting read, which is just what I want at the moment. The idyllic descriptions of st Tropez and the surrounding areas have me pining for a holiday though! I have a stack of books to choose from next, but I'm tempted to purchase another book from the 'dreaming of' series as I enjoyed this one.

2. Cooking/baking
I made an indulgent brunch of eggy bread earlier this week, but apart from that I've not been trying anything too exciting. However I've bookmarked my favourite dessert recipe (jam sponge cake - the jam goes in the tin first so it runs out when you turn it out). If I can get some jam in my next supermarket visit I'll be making those. I've also got some cookie mix in the cupboard so I'd like to make cookies in the next few days.

3. Gardening
As I mentioned above, the weather has meant I haven't been able to do much in the garden this week, but I've been keeping an eye on my seedlings and today I've been able to do some tidying ready for a new raised bed and if the weather tomorrow is as nice as it is meant to be, I'll be planting more seeds. So far I have three courgette seedlings, 6 cucumber seedlings, about 12 spring onions shooting up, two trays of tomatoes and some peas. Flower-wise, I've thrown the flower bombs so hoping they take and my various flower seedlings seem to be doing ok. The most exciting garden news however is that a couple of great tits have started making a nest in the bird house we put up just a couple of hours earlier! I am so hoping they are happy in their new home!

4. Tidying the attic
This I did over two afternoons. It was much overdue but it almost looks like a different room now. There were far too many have empty boxes and just by packing them better, I was able to throw out about three or four large boxes which made a lot of space. There's still some more sorting to do, I don't think we need a lot of what is there, but now we have the space to sort through things and it looks much tidier,

Apart from this, I've done a YouTube yoga session, watched some tv, not a lot - mostly old Netflix shows to unwind when I go to bed, though I have been catching up with the new show Belgravia this week. I've been watching YouTube vlogs most days and started playing chess in the evenings. It's not my favourite game but it is satisfying if you win!

Now I'm off to clean my coat collar from make up (I'm glad to be getting round to this, it's been on my to do list for ages). I expect the coming week will be much the same as this one, but I'm also hoping to do some Easter decor to brighten the house up a little and with any luck, it'll be a little brighter and warmer.

Keeping busy during the coronavirus lockdown

These are strange times. Certainly not what I expected from 2020, but here we are. I'm not the sort of person who enjoys staying indoors all the time, I always like to get into the fresh air at least once a day, so I wasn't sure what to do with myself once the lockdown happened. I think it's been officially four days, but prior to the situation getting worse, I'd already chosen to stay indoors as much as possible, going out only to buy food, so it already feels a lot longer.

I started off strong however, and to be honest I thought this wouldn't be so hard after all. I retracted that sentiment by day three. So, I've decided to write a diary-type post of what I've been up to, to keep track of and maintain productivity.

1. Gardening

I was originally thinking I'd have to scale back my gardening plans this year, but now I've obviously got a lot more time to dedicate to it. So, as well as vegetables I'm trying to grow some flowers from seeds. I have grown sweet peas before, but that's it. A few of my seeds I've started on the early side, but at least if they don't work out I'll have time for another attempt. This is what I've got growing so far:
Vegetables: courgettes, cucumbers, spring onions, peas and tomatoes.
Flowers: violas, lobelia and sweet peas

Over the next couple of weeks I want to plant some more spring onions and peas, green beans and French beans and perhaps some lettuce, spinach and radishes. I also want to sow some pansy seeds, large daisies and wildflowers.

2. Sewing repairs

I've had a few items of clothing that have needed minor alterations or repairs or since the Autumn but I'd been putting it off. Earlier today I pulled out my sewing supplies and repaired a dress and altered another. Last night I'd also managed to rip my favourite pyjamas and although I really do have enough other pairs, I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. (It would happened to be the comfiest ones!) Luckily I remembered that I had some hemming web tape that can be used for repairs too, so I dug that out together with a scrap of fabric I had and carried out the repair work this morning. Even though the rip was really quite large it's not too noticeable now so I hope it holds up and I can get some more wear out them. It seems like the more I repair the more I'm finding to repair though, whilst typing this I've just noticed a small hole in my trousers, so I'll be fixing that when I'm done here!

3. Cooking and baking

I've been making an effort to cook more food too. I can't usually be bothered with lunch, either picking up something small on the go or just having a snack at home. Whilst I've been indoors though I've been trying harder. A few days ago I made a chestnut soup with some boxes of chestnuts that I already had in the cupboard and it was so good, I can't wait to make it again. Tonight I'm going to make a cheese sauce from scratch too, so hopefully that turns out ok. I'm also looking forward to getting baking again, I think that tomorrow I will make jam sponge upside down cakes.

4. Exercise

Mostly gardening so far but also the occasional walk outside of the house. I want to get back into yoga too as I found it so good for both mind and body.

5. Reading

Over the past couple of years I've grown a collection of books to read without actually getting through them, so one of my New Years resolutions was to read one a month. I'm reading Dreaming of St Tropez by T A Williams at the moment, which is a nice, light mood-lifting book and helping me to dream of holidays in warmer climates too!

These have been my main focuses so far, but I'm also trying to sort out my rooms to find anything I no longer want and putting them aside for the charity shop when they reopen and I'm keeping up my daily Duolingo practice. It's a great app if you want to try learning another language. I am hoping to also get on with some DIY projects too, if the weather stays sunny and dry. Hopefully that's enough to keep me busy for now :)

Birthday celebrations with Tutankhamen

A couple of weeks ago it was my mum's birthday and as she has a great interest in ancient Egypt, I took her to the Tutankhamen exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. She had been to the exhibition the last time it was in London, fifty years ago and was looking forward to going back. This time round the exhibition featured items which had not been on exhibit before. I'd booked us early tickets on a weekday, so we were able to walk straight in (by the time we left at mid day the queues were very long, so it's worth getting an early slot, once you're in you aren't restricted in how long you spend there).

 We started by watching a short film before heading through to the galleries. One of the first things that caught my eye was a beautiful gilded wooden pencil box which was very ornate.

Alongside each item was a description and information, as well as information about the dig that discovered the lost pyramid, so it is a fascinating collection. 

This is a wooden game that was found in the tomb, so intricately designed and made. I'd love to know how it would be played. 

This was another of my favourite artefacts, a tiny replica of the famous casket, so small and yet so exactly copied, the skill and craftsmanship is just unbelievable. 

After spending almost a couple of hours in the exhibition, we stopped for a cup of tea in the gallery cafe before having a stroll through the quaint shopping area in Chelsea. We then stopped at the John Lewis store which has a cafe on the top floor with amazing views over London, where we enjoyed a slice of cake and a cup of tea.

NYE 2019

We had a quiet New Year's Eve this year. My boyfriend and I went out for dinner (and a yummy dessert of banoffee donuts) and then walked back to watch the fireworks on TV.

On New Years Day we went for a walk in the woods at Hampstead Heath before heading home for a family roast dinner.

Christmas 2019

We're finally at the end of January! I cannot wait for Spring to arrive and I'm so happy that the days are finally getting a little longer, but roll on the warm, sunny weather. 

As long as January has felt, the festive months flew by. Even though I don't post on my blog often, I always like to recap what I got up to over Christmas so I can look back. 

We kicked off the festivities by going along to seven dials Christmas light switch on event, where my mum and I took part in a free wreath making class. We then enjoyed a glass of prosecco and a mulled wine whilst we wandered through the cobbled streets, browsing the festive displays. After watching the light switch on we walked through Covent Garden and met my boyfriend and dad for dinner at cafe rouge. 

A couple of weeks later I had free tickets to some exhibitions in London, so I took my mum for a day out in central London. We started at the British Museum, where we had free entry to an exhibition about the influence of the Islamic world in Western art. I wouldn't otherwise have gone, mainly because the tickets are quite expensive, but I was glad I was able to go as it was very interesting. There were beautiful, vibrant paintings, exquisite fabrics and ornate armour. One brightly coloured and intricately woven silk scarf was believed to be nearly a thousand years old!

We had a brief look round the rest of the museum and saw the Rosetta Stone. It is incredible to think that thanks to this stone and much hard work, the mystery of hieroglyphics was solved. I'd love to know more about why the stone was created and who commissioned it.

After a quick lunch break we went on to the London transport museum. Again this isn't something I'd normally go to, but it was worth the trip. Having watched the downton abbey film a short while before, it was so interesting to see vehicles from around the same time, imagining how life was. I appreciate the horse drawn buses would have likely been a bumpy ride, but they do hold a charm you just don't find on a red London bus today!

In early December, my boyfriend and I went to a Christmas shopping weekend in Chelsea. It coincided with a food market, so after listening to a brass band play Christmas carols for a little while and browsing a few shops, we shared some vegan potjie (basically a curry on chips dish) which was so good, followed by some mini pancakes with chocolate and strawberries. So indulgent, but worth it! I bought some cute festive cannoli for dessert that night and we did a bit more window shopping and listened to the Chelsea pensioners sing carols before heading home for takeout, Netflix and a cannoli! 

 My boyfriend and I also managed to fit in ice skating in Covent Garden on one chilly December morning. It was a pop up rink by Tiffanys to promote their new fragrance and although small, no one else actually turned up for the session so we had enough room to skate for a while, before we walked around Covent Garden for a while and did some Christmas shopping.

A few days later I got to attend a free wreath making workshop at h&m home. The event was fun and informal and they provided lots of cute accessories to make the wreaths pretty. I was really pleased with it (admittedly though it wasn't anywhere near as good as many of the others made - but it suited me and fitted in with my decor so it didn't matter!)

The week before Christmas, my boyfriend booked us tickets to see the gingerbread city exhibition at the south bank, which was interesting and some of the entries were very impressive, but the space was very small and crowded, so I'm not sure I'd go again. 

Finally after braving the supermarkets for all the essentials and battling the crowds, Christmas was upon us. On Christmas Eve evening we had a buffet dinner before we attended midnight mass. I'd not been before, but it was a nice service with a message of hope. We got back home at about 1.30am and I was exhausted, but hadn't finished wrapping my gifts which took another hour. By the time I was done I was basically wrapping in my sleep. I never leave gift wrapping to the last minute usually, and I definitely won't again haha. 

On Christmas morning I made salmon blinis for breakfast served with Buck's Fizz and orange juice. We'd bought some citrus infused, gold edged salmon from waitrose. It looked so festive and tasted so good.

After breakfast we opened our gifts. I received some nice leather boots from my parents, which was exactly what I wanted, some sanctuary spa facial masks, (I love their face masks), a couple of books I'd wanted, including the latest shopaholic book (Christmas themed, so very apt and my all time favourite book series), some cosy pjs, a couple of lush bath bombs and a Mary Berry Christmas recipe book which has some great recipes in that I am looking forward to trying. My boyfriend bought me a lovely necklace, a Spanish book to help me learn, a recipe book and a cute little enamel pin badge that I'd wanted. So in short, I was spoiled! After dinner, I settled down with my new books and we enjoyed a peaceful evening in front of the TV. 

Sweet peas from the garden

For the last couple of weeks my sweet pea plants have been blooming gloriously in the garden. I'm really pleased with how well they are doing this year and I have been picking a good sized bunch every few days to help prolong the flowering season and it means the living room is filled with their gorgeous sweet scent. Going into the garden to pick such beautiful fresh flowers is one of my favourite things to do right now.

I grew these from a packet of mixed seeds, but by chance about 90% of the flowers are white! There are a couple of pretty purple stems and just one pink and one red stem!

These are my current blooms from the garden, sweet peas and a rose!