OF COURSE!!!

Of course I'm up at 5.30am! It's *really* 6.30am! So with my extra hour, I'm blogging, sat wrapped in a fluffy blanket on the sofa. The washer is on, the dryer is on. 

I'll spend all day today and tomorrow kinda jet lagged! It's made no sodding difference to the dark mornings and its filthy darkness earlier in the evenings now! 

I do not mind this darkness now it's FINALLY half term! 

With the help of you lot and those icing topped mince pies ( one left for a cup of tea later on ) I made it! 

Plans for this half term include lazing, cleaning, knitting, sewing, baking, reading, nutribulleting, rowing ( in my dining room on the machine, not with the HG and the offsprings ) visiting and TV box sets! The oven and the chimney will be cleaned too. 

Before I know it I'll be back at work! Not that I mind, it's coming up to my FAVOURITE half term. When things get Christmassy and glittery!! 

So yesterday, things got Christmassy and glittery! We went to Gretna Green. No, we did not get hitched, yes, I'm technically still a spinster of this parish!!!

The boy had a Karate thing on in Carlisle so after we dropped him off we went to the Gretna Shopping Outlet Village shopping thingy. We went a million years ago when the kids were teeny. It's much bigger now. More shops. Not that we were going for anything in particular . 

I was going to show you my purchases ... CHRISTMAS CARDS!! But I've decided to send a card to my bloggy chums this year if you'd like one! ( Just drop me an email rachelradiostar AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk or alternatively let me have your address in a separate comment - I won't publish it X )

The HG was TERRIBLE - I have a box full of cards already and he was just ENCOURAGING me to get them if I wanted! He said its my hobby, stashing things in boxes! It's true! And even though these were half price to start AND three for two; They aren't  just any Christmas Cards, these are M&S Outlet Christmas Cards!! 

He bought some bargain leather boots from the Clarks shop. Oh and there's a brand new TEFAL shop. We spent aaaaaages in there! ( Not as long as we did in Thornton's cafe - I'll come to that later ) 

After much umming and aaaaring, we bought a heavily discounted Actifry with some Christmas money from last year we hadn't spent yet. My Brilliant Boss leant me hers earlier this year to try and we were impressed. I also finally got a coffee pod holder for my coffee machine pods. I've been looking around at them for ages too! 

The HG picked up the bargain sewing book from The Works for my collection - I need another shelf! And the suet pellets were from 

Houghton Garden Centre which was on the way back to Carlisle. More on that in a minute. 

We needed a brew and decided that the Thornton's cafe was the one to go to. FIFTEEN HOURS I stood in that sodding queue for a brew. Ok ok I'm stretching it a bit, but it must have been close to a 20 minute wait. We were only 4th in the queue. They were SO BLOODY SLOW. The free chocolate was a compensation but COME ON Thornton's, SORT IT OUT! I wouldn't go back. The lattes were lukewarm. The only reasons I didn't complain were 1. I'm British and 2. THE QUEUE WAS TOO BIG and I think I'd have got lynched by the other customers waiting had I caused a kerfuffle up the front! 

Time was rapidly running out so we took our goodies back to the car and went to a VAIR posh garden centre on the way back. I'm sad I was rushed through the twinkly Christmas section and I didn't get to go downstairs to the big craft supplies bit but like Arnold  Schwarzenegger, I'll be back! We bought some of my garden pet's favourites, pictured above, suet nuggets and from the fabulous butchery in the charming farm shop, some Flat Iron Steak to try - ( really dirt cheap ) thanks Joy for all your posts! I also got these - aren't they different looking? 

Beef and Mushroom Truffles for the HG 

Sitting on a disc of black pudding, it's beef mince and in the middle is a chunky mushroom sauce. Two for £3 and they came in the metal tray ready for shoving in the oven! 

I got... 

Pork and mushroom, sat on a disc of haggis! Probably really easy to make but at three quid for two - I think one per portion on a dinner with lots of nice winter veg will be filling, it'd be hard to match the costings. Plus the faff. I'll let you know how they taste! 

We collected the boy who'd graded to 1st Kyu Brown Belt which means next time he grades, it's Black Belt! I'm really proud of him. It's a big achievement- his Karate leader is an ex British champion and doesn't give these belts away lightly. 

So, the washer is nearly done, time to swap the laundry and feed the machine with more! Have a great Sunday. What will you do with your extra hour? 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *loves being off* Radiostar xx