Feel Good Friday...What I'm doing more of this month.

Following on from Wednesday's post, I am starting to think more about what I want to put my time and energies in to this month to make the most of it and feel good about myself. Now that our crazy time is over, obligations to others have come to an end and we can finally breathe a sigh of relief that we can slow down again I'm really wanting to spend November doing some things that I love.

Reading...

I'm always making promises to myself to read more, my husband will tell you of his despair at my ever growing pile of books on my bedside table, now that I do have a bit more time for me again I definitely want to invest it in reading books, my two must reads are Blog Inc by Joy Cho - I'm sure some of you who are bloggers may have already read or heard about this book, if not, do check it out, it's simply brilliant! I'm also going to be reading Stay Calm and Content No Matter What Life Throws at You by Cat Williams look out for a review coming soon on the blog.

Drinking Hot Chocolate...

This time of the year really makes me feel like indulging in some comfort and Hot Chocolate is a big one for me! This year LC has also gotten a taste for it and loves hers with all the trimmings of whipped cream and marshmallows, we even sprinkle chocolate on the top, so delicious! 

This week I came across an amazing blog post at Cashmere and Cupcakes her recipes for homemade Hot Chocolate and marshmallows looks to die for and I'll certainly be giving it go myself.

Cosy nights in and date nights out...

Since the OH has been away in Germany on business for the last 9 days and then our trip to Edinburgh before hand we have gotten behind on our favourite TV programmes so Im looking forward to a lot of catch up TV whole snuggled on the sofa with him, with glass of wine in hand!  

Although we've had numerous weddings over the last few months, it doesn't seem like we have had much exclusive couple time together, our trip last week was fun and it was great being just the two of us but we spent a lot of time rushing about catching planes and doing touristy things, truth be told we didn't get much time to wind down just the two of us so a few date nights to look forward to is just the remedy for this - I'm thinking a trip to the movies and dinner at one of our favourite hang outs, perfect!

Planning for Christmas...

Yes I said it - the "C" word! Now that Halloween is over I can finally turn my attention to the festive season although I am resisting it a little. We have had a few conversations about our plans this year, what we want to buy for LC and each other and I have booked tickets to the Panto (LC's first ever!) and Breakfast with Santa! My mum and I have decided to do a present shopping day together and hopefully get it all done in one lot but there is still so much to think about so I'm sure in the next few weeks I will get out a pen and paper and write out a good old fashioned to do list. Lovely Laura at My Pollyanna has also been thinking about Christmas planning this month, head on over to see what's at the top of her list.

So there it is, my top priorities for the coming weeks, I hope I've given you a bit of inspiration?

I'd love to know what's on your reading pile this month or maybe you could recommend a great date night movie. Do you have a winning Hot Chocolate combo you want to share or maybe some great tips on being organised through the Christmas season, if so do share in the comments bellow...

Make this Autumn a great one...

So it's safe to say we are well in to the new season! Halloween has passed, so has Bonfire night, Christmas may be on your mind now (maybe not?) and it's definitely time to brake out the winter woollies!

It's also a time when the winter blues can set in a bit, the festive season sometimes keeps our spirit up until January but if you are bah humbug about it all then you may already be feeling you mood dropping along with the temperatures...

So here I have put together some ideas about how to keep those spirits lifted through this season and in to the next!

Eat for Mind, Body and Soul

Last week we were carving pumpkins like everyone else and I was determined not to waste anything!

So we roasted seed by removing most of the flesh and blotting with paper towel, set them out on a baking try with a sprinkle of salt and cinnamon and put them in the oven for about 15 minutes, until they were a golden brown, let me tell you they were delicious, what a great snack too! I have a great Flapjack recipe here which I used pumpkin seeds in, it's a family favourite.

With the flesh I boiled it up in a big sauce pan with some carrots and a bit of vegetable stock, then I blended adding some tomato paste and creme freche for taste, eat with some crusty bread - a perfect autumnal lunch to warm and comfort you.

These next few months brings us many great seasonal goodies to try, learn a new recipe and experiment with, munching on as much fruit and veg as you can get your hand on will keep away the winter bugs too!

Do something different

The change in weather may see you becoming more of a home body, hibernating from the cold air and the dark evenings, this can lead to you being stuck on the sofa eating left over Halloween candy or mince pies and not feeling great about your life and a bit stagnated, so why don't you mix things up a little?

This week I came across a great idea from a lady who felt a bit bored with her life but knew she couldn't just drop it all due to the normal responsibilities and pressure of every day life so instead she decided to do one new thing a month and boy did she do some amazing things! Get inspired and read more about her adventures on her blog Mrs Ayla's Adventures.

So even though the year is nearly out you can still start planning some new things for the autumn/winter months, is there anything new you'd like to try or place you want to visit? Maybe there is class you have always wanted to take or event you want to go to? Is it your dream to fly to Lapland at Christmas or attend a lavish New Years ball in a stunning floor length gown? Ok well maybe they are  on my list of new things to do but you get the picture right?

Cosy up together! 

You may have seen me write this before but one of my favourite things about the darker evenings is cosying up with my little family and having some down time together and we have been making late Sunday afternoons movie time! LC is old enough now to sit down and really understand and enjoy films and we have been watching some good ones, we get snugly under blankets and indulge in a few treats its nice to just slow down and enjoy being together.

Having a family ritual is really exciting and fun to do, you may have young or older children and start something new with them, anything you can do as a family, feeding the ducks on a Saturday morning  for instance. You may be single or a couple and start a weekend ritual with your parents like meeting at the pub for a pint and a roast dinner or you could plan to meet up with your siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews at the cinema or start a family bowling league, even hot chocolate and skating at the ice rink, what ever you fancy! Go on start a new family tradition this weekend!

Minding yourself

One of my latest discoveries is mindfulness, it's been helping me to manage these last couple of months of ups and downs and allowed me to discover so much about myself, how I think and what really matters to me, I am definitely feeling more present in my life now. Learning to be in the moment instead of worrying about the past or present can really help balance out your mood and general wellbeing.

A great website that I have discovered lately is bemindful.co.uk - go and see what you think!
Another great website is Head Space - they have a great meditation app that I love using too!

I'd love to know more about what you're getting up to this season, how do you plan to get through the chilly and damp months ahead? Any great ideas or tips to share? Do leave me a comment below!