A Valentine's birthday...

So, yesterday, when the majority were concerned with amore and matters of the heart, my focus was on my nearest and dearest (the hubby), as he shares his birthday with Valentine's Day. So, while all others are receiving flowers and being pampered by their loved ones, I become the pamperer, and all thoughts of Valentine's were swept aside... Okay, so maybe there were a smattering of hearts...

... starting with the 6:00 a.m. wake-up to bake cookies for my daughter's Valentine's party at school. As the hubby rubbed the sleep from his eyes and poured his morning coffee, his only comment was, 'Now that's a dedicated mummy'... no, that's a crazy mummy!

Anyhoo, cookies baked and daughter packed off to school, I then set about preparing a birthday meal for my man. Now, once upon a time, we would have hit the restaurants, but, after years of being squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with other loved-up couples, presented with a prix fix menu (with obligatory glass of champers), and a nice fat bill at the end of it, we decided to ditch the restaurant and have a blow out meal at home... this also solved the problem that no one is up for babysitting on Valentine's night.

So, ingredients brought, I then foolishly decided to bake a birthday cake with girls... this was after we had made a glitter card, and so, said cake had a nice unhealthy amount of red glitter added to it (you know how hard it is to clean up glitter?? I think I'll still be finding it next Valentine's).
Needless to say, after the candle-blowing, the wish-making, and the frosting being licked off the cake, the rest went into the bin (garbage)...

... kids packed off to bed and then down to adult matters... those being food-related (nothing saucy here; it's a kid-friendly blog... you never know who's reading)... I'd decided to cook a man's meal of steak (such a cliche, I know, but it is his favourite)... as I don't eat red meat, I have no idea how to cook steak, so when the hubby stuck his knife in (the steak, not me), it practically mooed. Luckily, I'd doused it in lashings of Stilton sauce. He was very polite, though, and said 'That's just how I like my steak'... not sure if that was a lie... but anyhoo, it made him look very manly... with the blood dripping from his chin, I was taken away to the Brad Pitt vampire movie....

With dinner cooked, eaten, and cleared away, I slumped into the couch at 9:30 realising that I had not sat down all day. A far cry from the days of being pampered... hand fed chocolate-dipped strawberries while sipping Dom Perignon ... wait a minute, that never happened...
Anyhoo, I hope you all had the day that you wished for...  strangely, I did!
Lx

Today's post is also linked up with Sarah at A Beach Cottage - Good Life Wednesday head over for some truly inspiring posts.

A birthday and a Friday Flower...

So, this past Tuesday was my birthday... another year closer to the big 4-0... not that I'm that worried by this prospect... honest... From what I hear, 40's are the new 30's... and, I have to admit, with each passing year, I become more confident in my own skin. Crazy, that when I had youth on my side, I spent so much time preoccupied with my weight, skin, hair, etc. instead of just enjoying what god gave me and making the most of it! When thinking about this, I always think of the Baz Luhrmann lyrics from 'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)':

You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. 

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and 

recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before 

you and how fabulous you really looked….

Anyhoo, what am I wittering on about? My mum assures me that I am still a spring chicken, and mums are always right...
And so, to my Friday Flower this week... naturally, a birthday bunch from the hubby... well, a selection of them, as they also included roses, but I decided to split them as I found the colours jarred... beautiful and thoughtful nonetheless...

This week's floral offering is dedicated to Maureen from Daydream Living. I visit her blog whenever I see a post and always come away with a smile on my face. Sometimes her posts are short and sweet, while, at other times, she introduces us to individuals that inspire her... and, sometimes, we are treated into an insight into Maureen's life... whatever the post, though, you will always leave feeling happy, as Maureen's warmth and friendliness radiate through her blog. While your tea is still warm, you could nip over and say hi. I know you'll be welcome!

Take care, all, and have a fantastic weekend... I have Disney Princesses on Ice to look forward to... a treat for the girls, for my birthday... how did that happen??
Lx

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