I’m conscious of the fact that last year I spent quite a lot of time moaning about life; about how everyone was ill all the time and we weren’t getting very much sleep. I can’t guarantee that this year won’t see more of the same. But in an effort to focus more on the positives I’m going to be joining in with the Liked & Loved linky from Stevie at A Cornish Mum every month. It’s easy to forget the little things that make you happy when you’re living in a fog of sleep deprivation and germs but there definitely are some in there somewhere!

So what have I been liking and loving in January…

The view from our living room

We’ve lived in our house for six months now. But for some reason this month I’ve really noticed how lovely the view from our living room is. We’ve got a balcony on the back of the house which unfortunately isn’t safe to use at the moment. We’re hoping to have enough money to get it replaced in the spring. It will be so lovely to sit out there with a cup of tea in the morning and take in the view. There are often sheep in the field that Toby and Gabe like to watch, or sometimes we get to see the farmer in his tractor (although he’s often muck spreading which doesn’t smell quite so pleasant!)

There are currently developers appealing the decision to reject their planning application and we’re really hoping it doesn’t go through. It will be such a shame if our lovely view becomes one of a building site. So anyway, I’m going to enjoy the view while I can!

Gabe reading

Well clearly, Gabe is 17 months old so he isn’t actually reading but he’s developed a sudden love of books. He will spend ages bringing me new books off the shelf then thrusting them at me until I read them to him. He especially loves the ‘That’s not my…’ and lift the flap books. It’s very cute and something I’m really pleased about. We haven’t spent anywhere near as much time looking at books with Gabe as we did with Toby so I’m glad it doesn’t seem to have had an adverse effect.

Toby scooting

Toby is loving his new scooter and I’m loving watching him. I’m looking forward to the weather getting a bit warmer so he can get out more and get practising.

Losing weight and drinking tea

I decided after Christmas it was time to do something about the extra three stone I’m carrying. With a mixture of meal replacement shakes, avoiding cake and chocolate, and healthy eating I have so far lost 7lb. I’m really pleased with my progress so far. There’s still a long way to go but after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting I’m not in any huge rush to lose the weight. I’m determined to keep it off this time and I think losing weight steadily is the best way to do that. And in an effort to avoid snacks and chocolate I’ve been drinking a lot more tea than usual – and I’d forgotten just how much I like a good cup of tea. Especially in the ‘Distract & Survive’ mug I got from my Blog Bump Club Secret Santa!

Let it Shine / Dance Dance Dance

I love a cheesy talent show, and I love Take That. So Gary Barlow’s Saturday night search for a cast for his new musical was bound to be a winner for me. The opening song of the first episode was one of the most wonderfully bonkers thing I’ve seen on TV too!

I’ve also been loving Dance Dance Dance on ITV. If you haven’t seen it it’s a bunch of celebrities recreating famous dances from movies and music videos. I love dancing, and watching other people dance, and for this programme it really doesn’t matter that I only know who one of the ‘celebrities’ is!

I think that will do for this month. Thanks for reading and I’ll be back next month with another Liked & Loved post.