Inspired by you guys... Green Smoothies

I was reading an article about targets for the following year and it made me realise that I need to try and be more organised and get things done! I see so many great ideas from fellow bloggers and think 'Ohhhhh, I must try that...' but it always gets shoved to the bottom of the pile as more practical day to day snores, opps, I mean CHORES, take over.


So here is a pledge to try and get one thing done per week, either after being inspired by others or my own little brain waves.


Starting this week, I'm adding some green to a smoothie after seeing this idea here- link! (Note: I heart the brilliant ideas from A Beautiful Mess and recommend you check them out).I don't think I'll manage a full week of smoothies but one day per week is a do-able trade up on my usual fruit-based smoothie. 


Here's how I was inspired by the great gals at A Beautiful Mess:

Usual Smoothie

Ingredients:

Blueberries

Raspberries

Strawberries

Plain yogurt

Cherry yogurt

Water

Mint

Vanilla extract

Sweetener

Green Smoothie:

Ingredients:

Spinach

Banana

Raspberries

Coconut

Yogurt

Water

The Verdict:

The spinach was great as I couldn't taste it at all, I'll definitely be adding leafy greens to my smoothies from now on. However, do not add desiccated coconut- what a lumpy mess, think dog vomit! In future I'll opt for fresh coconut.

Three Months Old Today!

The Sanderson Smith Story is three months old today; my first few tentative steps into blogging have been a thoroughly enjoyable way of documenting our daily life. Although it is intended purely as diary, it's nice to have my lovely 31 followers and over a thousand views, whether you stumbled across this by accident or not, it's still nice to feel like I'm not just typing into the abyss!

I already envy those who have been blogging for years, especially those who blog from their pre-parenthood years- what an amazing gift to share with your children one day. I love that we'll be able to look back at this in a few years and hopefully blogs about what we were cooking or our days out will bring back the memories.

Finally, thank you to all of those who take the time to blog, I love both the real and the aspirational blogs out there and never fail to find everything from practical tips to philosophical provocations.

Happy blogging everyone.xxx

Row row row your boat!

One of my highlights of Easter weekend spent in the Lakes (and the only days with half decent weather)was rowing on Windermere. Just gorgeous!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.xxx

(PS- please excuse the grainy pictures, I had to use an app to brighten the images as, despite the gorgeous sunshine, the photos came out a touch dark.)

Ice-cream and 30 seconds in a night club!

Yesterday we met friends for lunch and, most importantly, ice-cream at the wonderful Wheelbirks- link! near Shotley Bridge (Co. Durham):

Later we went for a meal for Kim's birthday at a cheap restaurant down North Shields Fish Quay. Ben thought it would be funny to do this with my pud:

I met friends in town after with the aim of going clubbing; that's a big deal considering I haven't stepped foot in a club for about 18 months. The girls and I got dressed up and hit the bars in Newcastle, finally stumbling into a club called The Cut- link! Except after half a song (I wish I was exaggerating) there was a power cut! After that we couldn't be bothered so got pizza and headed home. Still a great night and lovely as ever to catch up with my gorgeous friends.

Happy Sunday everyone, hope if you were out last night you managed longer in the club than us!

On yer bike luv!

Steve says I check out old-fashioned bikes with baskets like builders check out young ladies in short skirts- I'm officially a bike perv. I bought a bike basket over eight years ago, did you hear that people... EIGHT YEARS! I was waiting for the chance to put it on some beautiful old bike I would buy. 

Fast forward eight years... I still don't have that bike and I don't really have the spare cash for one. So a couple of nights ago, Steve just put it on my dad's old mountain bike. No it doesn't look cool and vintage but you know what- I don't care! Maybe one day I'll have a beautiful bike but until then, I'm living the dream on this bad boy!

{PS- I was collecting Ben from school (he took the photo) hence my back pack!}

Sunday Summary- Pretty Spring

Spring! It's here! The clocks have gone back and the sun is out! Doesn't life just seem prettier in the springtime?

{Pretty open toe shoes- with very pale toes!}

{Pretty bright lippy- MAC Girl About Town}

{Pretty food board I bought from the Living North show}

{Pretty much everything at Living North show was pretty, but also pretty expensive- hence only one purchase!}

{Pretty shadows and pretty magical to be out at 6 pm on a spring evening}

{Pretty... funny! Ben looks like he has found a lady who has fallen down a hole! Really, this was me lying on my belly relaxing in the sun yesterday evening in the park}

Overall, a chilled and lovely day. Kim had free tickets to the Living North Show-link! from work so we enjoyed checking that and and then we relaxed in the park for an hour.

Happy belated Sunday everybody- hope you had a pretty good day!

A Little Party

I wanted a low key family party for my 30th so yesterday we just invited family over for a party tea. As my birthday was a week ago, it was a little belated but it was lovely nonetheless: 

Special thanks to my mum for all her help with the food, to Steve and Ben for all their help with the preparations and the tidying and to all those who came and helped us celebrate.

PS- I also got the best birthday present ever from Simon and Kim yesterday but I can't share it with you for another couple of months (wink wink, nudge nudge)!