Looking back on my 'Reading Challenge' for 2015.

One of my personal challenges for 2015 was to read more.

As an English Literature graduate and a trained actress I have a deep love of literature - but since becoming a mum, my time to read just seemed to disappear completely! I found that I was no longer making any time for myself to sit down and read anything at all - not even a magazine. 

I missed it hugely. 

So, I decided to set myself a challenge for 2015: to read one book a month for the whole year. 

I wanted to the challenge to be do-able and realistic, but to still present me with quite a challenge. I knew I would need to MAKE time to sit and read, make the most of snatched moments here and there to be able to get through the books at a steady rate. 

I kept a list here on the blog of what I was reading each month as a way to chart my progress, as well as to share the titles I was choosing to read.

I re-read some favourites from my childhood, read some trashy chick-lit for a bit of escapism, some bestsellers, the newest book from my favourite author Peter James, as well as discovering a new detective book series that I love (Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad), I read books based on real life, and even managed to fit in a brilliant book from a blogger buddy (Ericka Waller) - what a busy year! 

So here is the final list of books I managed to get through in 2015...

Lucy's Reading List 2015

Jan: 

Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson - FINISHED 

Feb: 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding - FINISHED 

Mar: 

Sleepyhead by Mark Billingham - FINISHED

Apr:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling - FINISHED

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - FINISHED

May:

'The C Word' by Lisa Lynch - FINISHED

June: 

You Are Dead (Roy Grace #11) by Peter James - FINISHED

Finding Emma by Steena Holmes - FINISHED 

July:

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott - FINISHED

Grey by E. L James - FINISHED

One Night Promised by Jodi Ellen Malpas - FINISHED 

Aug:

In The Woods by Tana French - FINISHED

Sept: 

Confessions of a Mother Inferior by Ericka Waller - FINISHED

Oct:

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins - FINISHED

Nov: 

The Likeness by Tana Woods - FINISHED

Dec:

What Might Have Been by Matt Dunn - FINISHED

I'm pleased to say that I've completely aced my target of one book per month over the course of 2015 - I have now completed 16 books in total and I have been so happy that I've been able to make the time to read regularly again. It doesn't feel as hard as it did in Bert's first year to snatch good periods of time to myself to indulge in something I love, and I no longer feel guilty about it when I do. I am a better mother, wife, professional, friend when I get to do the things I love regularly. I recognise that now, and embrace it whole-heartedly. 

With that in mind I definitely plan to continue this reading challenge into 2016. 

Hopefully I'll be able to read just as much, if not more over this next year and I look forward to sharing with you the choices that I make. 

I'd love any book recommendations....

Happy Reading! 

Mrs B

xxx

Happy New Year!

Sending huge love and New Year sparkle to all of you my wonderful readers. Thank you for your support, for continuing to read this blog and all your wonderful comments, emails and messages throughout the year. 

2016 is going to be a very EXCITING year for The Bishop household, with the arrival of our second baby due in early June. We are over-the-moon about our new addition, and we know that a new adventure is just about to begin...

I hope you'll come along for the ride!

Hoping that you'll all have a happy, peaceful and healthy New Year. 

Love

Mrs B

xxx

Merry Christmas!!

Sending you all lots of love this Christmas - may your day be full of family, good food, and lots of treats! 

Merry Christmas one and all! 

Mrs B

xxx

What's in Bert's Christmas Stocking? (2015)

This year I thought it would be fun to share with you the contents of Bert's Christmas stocking - this is the first year I've really done him a proper stocking full of gifts, we did separate bigger presents last year, as I found stocking fillers for a one year old a bit tricky. 

This year however, as I mooched around the shops, and browsed online I found lots of lovely little things that I knew Bert would love and I'm really pleased with the contents I've put together - I can't wait to see his little face tomorrow morning when he rifles through it all. 

I thought I'd write a list of the contents and then share some pictures with you as well, I hope this might inspire some of your stocking contents next Christmas - Bert is 2 years and 4 months exactly, and I confidently know that he'll love the things we've chosen for him. 

-3 DVDs (Jungle Book, Brother Bear 2, Wreck it Ralph)

-a pot of yellow play dough

-3 giant pavement chalks

-a toy cow figure

-a wibbly frog toy

-Wooly & Tig 'Feelings' picture playing card set

-a DK 'First Facts - Dinosaurs' book 

-a set of knights and horses

-a set of Cloud Babies mini puzzle books

-a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles boxer shorts

-a Spiderman pants and vest set

-a set of 5 dinosaur pants

-a Father Christmas and Reindeer itty-bitty cuddly toy

-a set of glow in the dark mini dinosaur figures

-a new Sylvanian Family (Polar Bears)

-a new Sylvanian Families nautical Rabbit girl (Freya Chocolate)

I'm pretty chuffed with his stocking fillers this year - hopefully we'll have a very happy two year old on our hands this Christmas morning!

I do love all things nautical - I'm pretty fond of a Breton stripe or two, so this gorgeous little nautical Freya Rabbit is a real favourite of mine, I know Bert will just love her too! Thanks to Sylvanian for sending her to us in time for Christmas. 

We are always excited to add a new family to our Sylvanian collection, and we thought this family of Polar Bears was perfect for the festive season! 

All ready for Bert to have a rummage! Exciting...

I feel pleased that I've managed to include a good combination of different things in this years stocking: from practical items such as pants for the coming months of potty training fun, to activities for a rainy day such a Play Dough and playing cards, adding some great new titles to his ever-growing DVD collection, some brilliant little figures (his favourite type of toy), a lovely book I know he'll love along with a few festive items too. I'll throw in a bag of chocolate coins, and a tangerine at the last minute (both Christmas stocking traditions on my family) and 'Bob's your uncle' one complete Christmas stocking for my cheeky little toddler. 

I want to add that not all of the contents of this years stocking are brand new - Christmas stockings really don't need to be expensive, you can pick great little items up from charity shops, markets, car boot sales etc over the course of the year, and a couple of items were kindly gifted to us by friends who had been given duplicates of various bits and bobs. The cuddly festive Santa and reindeer toys were prizes that my hubby won in a blog giveaway - entering regular competitions is a great way to accrue presents and stocking fillers over the course of the year. I'll probably even start having a peek in the January sales for any little items that might be good in his stocking for next year - I do love a bargain. 

I'd love to know what you've popped in your kids stockings this year, do let me know!

Merry Christmas to you all - I hope you've enjoyed a super-festive Christmas Eve and are all organised and ready for the big day tomorrow! 

We're spending today with Liam's side of the family, and then heading off to visit my side over the rest of Christmas, tonight I plan to enjoy a warm mince pie, maybe a naughty small glass of red wine and put my feet up!

My work here is done. 

Mrs B

xxx

Thanks to Sylvanian Families for sending us the new Polar Bear family, and the special edition Freya Chocolate to include in Bert's stocking this year. 

WIN £150 Tesco Gift Card...

I thought I'd bring you a nice little giveaway today which could help out hugely in the New Year when our bank accounts are looking just a little bit empty...

Bargain Fox is a FAB discount codes website, offering brilliant codes for all sorts of shops on the High Street and online, and this Christmas they are giving away a £150 Tesco voucher to one lucky winner, all you need to do is enter via the Gleam app below...

Win £ 150 TESCO Gift Card

As if Tesco didn't already offer enough bargains, Bargain Fox have implemented TESCO promotiononal codes that can save you even more money. 

You're welcome! 

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! 

Mrs B

xxx

The competition ends January 20th 11:59pm and a winner will be chosen at random and contacted by Bargain Fox to claim their prize. (Sponsored post)

How many calories do you think you'll consume on Christmas Day?

The fabulous breakfast porridge brand MOMA has conducted a survey of 1400 people across the UK asking...

It's an interesting question - and one that fascinates me!

Anyone who reads my blog regularly or follows me over on Instagram will know that I'm food-mad. Not only do I really love eating it in all its guises from health food to cakes and chocolate, I also love to cook, create recipes, test recipes and just generally experiment and evolve my skills in the kitchen.

Since embarking on my weight loss journey I have become something of a calorie aficionado: counting calories every single day for two and a half years does that to a girl! So I'm pretty clued up and realistic about the calorie content of foods and drink, and also know what my average daily calorie intake is and what it needs to be to lose/maintain/gain weight.

I spent the majority of my first year of weight loss eating just 1200 calories per day, after a year I upped this to 1500 a day, as I was happy to lose the rest of my weight at a slower rate. By the end of my weight loss journey I was eating around 1700 calories per day to maintain my weight of 10 stone 8lbs.

Since falling pregnant with Baby Bishop #2 I've been struggling a huge amount with nausea, to the point of needing to be medicated - and because of that my eating habits have been all over the place - I've been craving dry, salty, carb-heavy foods, which aren't usually a part of my diet as regularly as they have been these past weeks. A few weeks ago the thought of eating a vegetable was making me heave - thankfully, I seem to be moving out of that phase just in time for Christmas, and although the nausea is still rearing its mean old head, I am feeling a lot more myself, and my eating habits are getting more balanced and nutritious.

Christmastime is another ball game when it comes to consumption though - and for my family, on Christmas Day especially there are just no rules when it comes to food and drink.

Champagne or Bucks Fizz for breakfast? Sure.

Chocolate before you've even gotten out of bed? Why not. 

A full Turkey dinner followed by three helpings of dessert? Knock yourself out.

Being so full you can barely move, but managing a mince pie and some chocolate once the Downton Abbey Christmas special starts...yes, that's pretty much us on Christmas Day.

Christmas Dinner with my lovely in laws last year - tucking in happily! Calories? What Calories?

My Christmas-Dinner Cake (a fun take on carrot cake) from last Christmas - I MAY have eaten two huge chunks of this on Boxing Day, as well as half the buffet table! ;-)

If you can't throw all calorie-caution to the wind on Christmas Day, then when can you? That's what I say! Christmas for me is definitely a time to enjoy treats guilt-free, and to just deal sensibly with any gained poundage in the New Year.

I was pleased to read that I'm not alone in my Christmastime greed - the results of the MOMA survey showed that the majority of both men and women expect to consume 3,000 to 3,499 calories on Christmas Day!!

HA! Brilliant - I'm taking this as licence to double my usual daily food consumption on Christmas Day knowing that I'm in good company. Especially as ALL THE ALCOHOL is out of the equation this year - boo!!

Through my weight loss journey I've learnt not to bury my head in the sand when it comes to what I consume, so I will still try and count my calories as best I can over Christmas - so that I can still see and be realistic about just HOW BAD I've been. I will be WAY over my calorie target during the Christmas break, but that is fine, as I will work hard in the New Year to make amends, and will just enjoy the glutton while it lasts. 

The important change for me in terms of Christmas eating is that I no longer make Christmastime the start of a slippery slope back into overeating in definitely. I decide on a specific time-scale for my Christmas glutton (usually Christmas Eve to New Years Day) and then jump back on the healthy/balanced wagon after that.

What are your Christmas eating-habits like?

Do you exorcise moderation all-year round and then have a blow out at Christmas? 

Or are you much more restrained and sensible? I'd love to know!

Happy Christmas Eating Everyone!

Mrs B

xxx

Wrendale launches their Instagram account...

Today I wanted to share with you a very quick post about one of my favourite brands: Wrendale Designs. 

This gorgeous family business all stemmed from artist Hannah Dale and her incredible ability to paint animals - her pieces capture a variety of animals at their most playful. There is something so enchanting about the movement and energy she manages to portray in her work, and as soon as I saw her first hare pictures I was completely captivated. 

Although her designs were originally only available printed onto greetings cards, the business has now expanded to include a collaboration with ceramic producer Portmerion, and fabulous tinware, stationary, and gift wrap as well as frames and prints. They also have some very exciting new ranges launching in the New Year (but Shhh, I didn't tell you that!)

I've followed Hannah's business since she first started selling her cards, and I'm now the proud owner of many of her beautiful pieces, including some of the tinware collection (tea/coffee/sugar canisters, biscuit tin, cracker tin) as well as her first ever children's book: Mr Hare's Big Secret, which is a favourite in our house. 

Hannah's first children's book - one of Bert's favourites! I even bought a second copy to give my little nephew as a gift, as I loved the book so much! 

My tea/coffee/sugar canisters...cuteness overload. 

Cutest biscuit tin ever! I love the attention to detail on Wrendale products - even the inside of the tin is beautiful! 

I truly love all of my Wrendale products and I am always excited about the prospect of adding new things to my collection. I follow them over on their Twitter and Facebook pages, which is a great way to keep up to date with their news and new releases and now I'm pleased to say they have also launched an Instagram account...

Instagram is such a visual platform I think it really is the perfect platform for Wrendale to showcase their beautiful designs, latest news, and run little competitions and giveaways. As a Social Media Consultant in my day job it is always reassuring to me when you see brands making positive steps in developing their online presence through the use of social media, it is an amazing marketing tool if used correctly and I'm sure their new account will be wildly popular. 

So, if like me, you're a fellow Instagrammer and a fan of Wrendale's work then head over to @wrendaledesigns and give them a follow, if you're quick you might even get a chance to enter their recent greetings cards giveaway which ends later today!

@wrendaledesigns on Instagram 

I always have a super-long Wrendale wish-list and at the moment I'm lusting after their

-apron

-oven gloves

-tea towels

-placemats/coasters for my kitchen-diner

As well as my all-time favourite image from Hannah - her Highland Cow, especially in this fabulous print called 'Accessorise'. 

Image source: Coach House Art

What are your favourite items/images from Wrendale? I'd love to know. 

Mrs B

xxx