April

Hi bloggers.  I have been a bit under the weather but feeling more like me again now :)  Sorry I have been quiet over here.   I have been visiting your blogs and leaving comments.

some of my pics are still coming out sideways.. sorry :)

On sunny afternoons I have really benefitted from being on my allotment for a while.  I was starting feel almost phobic about going outside so this has been very helpful.  I have put my home made compost across the plot and  planted potatoes, beetroot, lettuce, carrot and spring onion seeds.  Below is my insignificant looking potato for  the plot holders competition to grow the biggest crop -  judging in August.

At home I gave the lawn its first haircut of the year, I have tulips and grape hyacinth in the borders and have cleaned my pots ready for tomato growing.  Seedlings are on windowsills indoors, but very stringy despite repotting.   My conservatory is crammed with indoor and outdoor plants  my lemon tree and lemon verbena.

My very good friend Annie sent me this beautiful gardeners journal, I wanted one for ages, she must be telepathic!  Thankyou  so much Annie!  The card is a keeper too as it's like my little Mollie.  Annie and I have been blogging and  chatting on WhatsApp/phone  for years! 

I want to avoid cleaning products that are harmful to the environment, a lot of the things I have used are damaging to marine life for example and go straight down the drain to the sea and it bothers me ... My current read is Nancy Birtwhistles Clean & Green (eco friendly cleaning recipes; everything I tried so far works and I now make my own fabric softener, and bathroom/kitchen cleaner.  The main ingredients for everything seem to be white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, vegetable glycerine and citric acid, all of which I have bought online in bulk).  I found glass bottles to store the mixtures in can be expensive so am using empty wine bottles which are ideal (double benefit there!).

Some new cushions have brightened our lounge.  We took our limp tired sofa cushions to a local factory that fills upholstery for hotels, etc., to be restuffed, they were more than happy to do our small job and the sofas now have a new lease of life, they are 15 years old!

I recently got a lift and enjoyed a few hours in Brighton on the beach - the sea air was a real tonic.  It was chilly so I wore my fake fur coat and warm boots.  Having spent holidays there as a child with my grandmother and her three eccentric sisters, it always feels like coming home :)

Thankfulness:  seeing the bluebells near here, sitting in the garden with a cup of tea in the sun (coat  on as chilly), walking to my allotment for exercise and fresh air.  My soup maker for nourishing easy lunches,  My family.  My little cat.  Time: taking a slow but positive pace and knowing that there's always tomorrow.  

Back soon.  

Betty

Travelling light

For short trips like our 4 night stay in Marrakech I use a black  Easyjet zip up under seat bag - it's super lightweight and meets size regulations for most airlines.  I really dislike those small cases on wheels, they are a trip hazard to other people and take up far too much room in overhead lockers.  My bag is soft so will squeeze into the bag guage at check-in even when crammed.  Hubby takes a similar size gym bag.

 For Marrakech I packed 1 maxi kaftan, 1 maxi wrap skirt, 1 long chino skirt, 3 long sleeve blouses, 1 midi skirt, 1 black t-shirt, 1 black/wool wrap, 1 pair flat leather sandals, 1 orange maxi cover up, 1 black swimsuit, 1 foldable hat, undies (2 changes/wash at night) and 2 leather belts one wide, one narrow. I flat leather sandals.

I wore denim leggings, long sleeve navy jersey shirt, wool wrap and trainers on the flights.  If I am short of space on the return after buying souvenirs, I can wear a things over this.

Toiletries: I keep small 100ml bottles and refill them  they are enough for 4 days, this size can go in hand luggage. I take shampoo and conditioner, Body Shop CBD oil for my face (mature skin, recently discontinued so stocked up when it got reduced to a fiver a bottle,)), toothbrush and paste  I don't use foundation makeup, i dislike it.  I  use eyebrow, eye and lip pencils, blush and lipstick.   Hubby carries the decanted Calypso once a day sun lotion and after sun, his shaver and toothbrush.

We take paper cups for our toothbrushes and keep them in the wardrobe away from crawlies.  We leave the barhroom light on at night as cockroaches prefer to come out in the dark. . 

Electricals:  We share a phone charger and email ahead to hotels to check which plug we need. Some have usb outlets.

Fact Finding:  we check the hotel website and Tripadvisor forum reviews for pictures so  we can get a feel of the layout of the hotel before we arrive. 

  Hubby makes a day by day itinerary of where we want to go and factors in free time for chilling out.  For us, this is as much a part of the holiday as actually going - we love finding our way round little streets and discovering places to see by reading Tripadvisor and travel blogger reviews.  We  download some Google map screen shots and train timetables to our mobiles so we don't waste time getting lost. 

(Pattern mixing  Bahia Palace, Marrakech)

(Pattern overload!! Water fountain, Marrakech)

Sorry about the photos coming out sideways, I hope you don't have a stiff neck!