Lorna Cole

Christmas Eve is often a very busy day and begins with the chaos of getting all the final bits ready for Christmas. We usually collect and deliver presents to different family members and do some last minute shopping for any food or essentials. My Mum then prepares some bits for Christmas Dinner and my evening usually kicks off with the annual trifle making. I’m not sure how many years I’ve been making one for me and my Dad but it’s at least 6+ so it’s become a tradition now! The evening is (hopefully) a bit more chilled out and we usually watch a Christmas film. This year’s pick is The Muppet's Christmas Carol! One of my favourite traditions is getting a few gifts to open on Christmas Eve. Most often, this consists of some new festive pyjamas which we usually put on straight away and have them for Christmas morning. I’ve had multiple designs over the years and this time I received this matching grey fairisle set which I really love! Luckily it’s not too thick as I hate getti...

Something I've wanted to do for a while is to go to a pick your own farm. I didn't get a chance to go in the summer but we decided to check out the Ansty Farm for my Mum's birthday just to have a wander around and see what was left. The Ansty PYO and Farm Shop is only 10 minutes down the road from us and I really don't know why we've not been before! As it's October I knew there wouldn't be a massive choice of things to pick, however, the main thing I wanted to find were raspberries and luckily there were still some about. Due to the recent bad weather, the people working there weren't sure if there would be much to pick but after having a walk around we actually managed to find some really nice raspberries. We also were able to get some golden raspberries, which I'd never had before but was definitely intrigued. It was quite strange to see yellow raspberries but they tasted pretty similar to the usual ones and I'm surprised you don'...

I haven't done a tag in quite a while and always find them great fun, so I was pleased when I saw that Michael had tagged me in The Autumn Tag! Essentially this tag is a set of questions all about, you guessed it - Autumn! Definitely go and check out Michael's post here as he had some great answers, thanks again for tagging me!  What signifies the start of Autumn for you? Once it gets chillier out, the evenings get darker earlier and the leaves start changing. Also by October 1st I always feel ready for Autumn. What is your favourite Autumn scent? I love things like cinnamon, cedarwood, black pepper - anything spicy, woody or earthy really. What is your favourite Autumn colour? Burgundy is one of my favourite colours this time of the year, a lot of my outfits tend to include something burgundy around Autumn. I also love all the colours the leaves turn too, it looks so pretty!                      ...

As we are well past August now and most of my favourites were related to my holiday (which I've already done a whole  post about), I decided to combine August and September together. There is quite a random mix of things here but isn't that always the case! Also how mad is it that we're already in Autumn!! Place Now I do obviously need to mention my holiday a little, as it was a big favourite for August. Belgium was so lovely, it's the sort of place where you instantly feel at home and like you know your way around - if you know what I mean? Bruges is a great city for amazing architecture, it's sort of like a fairytale city from the past and it's also got a brilliant array of chocolate shops too. I have to say that Belgian beaches are underrated, we were 5 minutes walk away from the beach at Middelkerke and it's so gorgeous, I would really recommend visiting if you get the chance. Music Sorting of linking to my holiday, I made a...

Happy Christmas Eve everybody! I thought The Christmas Tag would be very appropriate to do today, I tag anyone who wants to do it!  Q) What is your favourite Christmas film? A) Elf! It is just brilliant! Q) Is your Christmas tree real or fake? A) It's real, wouldn't have it any other way! Q) What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season? A) New York or somewhere really cold and snowy because we don't really have much hope for a white Christmas where I live! Q) Do you stay in your pyjamas or dress up on Christmas Day? A) I stay in my pyjamas whilst opening presents, having breakfast and then at some point, usually late morning I'll get dressed. However we don't necessarily dress up, I'll usually wear a top or jumper I received as a present with some jeans. Q) What is your favourite holiday snack? A) Cheeselets! They are a must have and something I can eat and eat! / Q) Are you a pro present wrapper or do you...

There's nothing better than chilling with a warm blanket (hot chocolate and snacks at the ready) to watch a Christmas movie is there? This year I've made it my mission to watch as many as possible and have decided to make a list of my all time favourites and the classics that everyone needs to watch this Christmas. A no brainer and my absolute favourite. Elf really is the perfect feel good movie to watch during the festive season and Buddy's love of Christmas is infectious. As a huge lover of Christmas I do feel like I relate to his passion for Christmas and personally think I would have made a great elf, should I have grown up in the North Pole - but hey, I guess that is one talent wasted! Without fail I will always watch this movie, usually multiple times because it never gets old and that is why I've had to put it at the top of this list! Another one for the family and a true classic. The Grinch is a oddly lovable character and the adaption of Dr. Se...

This weekend consisted of a Christmas preparations trip to Southampton, mostly to get our Christmas tree but there were also a few other bits to do! I know there are pros and cons of getting a real or fake tree but there is something so exciting about going to choose it and being surrounded by the iconic pine scent, it really makes me feel so Christmassy and sort of marks the start of the festive period. You could probably spend hours looking at different trees and trying to decide which is the best looking one but once we had finally agreed we took it back to the car and headed into the town. After getting some lunch I headed to a shops in search of a Christmas jumper, I'm always really picky with the ones I like so I knew it would take up some time. Unfortunately it seemed that a lot of them had sold out but hey I suppose that is the beauty of online shopping isn't it! Luckily it wasn't a complete waste of time as I did spot a few different things that could be po...

As the temperature drops and the delightful grey, rainy days become even more regular, I often find myself watching TV shows that I couldn't care less about and feeling unproductive! So to combat this feeling of boredom I have made a list of things to do in the Autumn. Go for a walk - I love going for walks in Autumn because the air is so fresh and crisp. Plus the trees are so colourful at this time of the year so going for a little walk is always nice! Whether you just pop into town, visit your local park or head out to your favourite spots, I guarantee a quick walk will make you feel productive. It's also great if you need to clear your head or just want a break from your everyday business!  Cook  -  Sometimes cooking can feel a bit like a chore but it's always rewarding when you have a delicious hearty meal at the end. My personal favourite at the moment is a creamy tomato, chicken and chorizo pasta bake. I've made this a few times recently and I absolutely lo...