New Year update

 Christmas has come and gone, and we are now attempting to get through those awful two dreaded months of January and February, where the weather is too horrible to venture out in, and we are sitting around, bored stiff with little to look forward to, and even less to do until Spring arrives. 

Actually we have been quite busy, first taking the Christmas decs down and putting them all back up in the attic. This is always a major job as the bungalow always looks like an explosion in a tinsel factory in my attempts to create Santa's grotto. The one year I got all sophisticated and went for a subtle winter wonderland the kids all complained and asked where the mismatched colours, glitter and kitch went. So it was back to the mismatched tat. 

Once that was all cleared away I decided I wanted more desk space and better organisation in the craft room, so I dragged Martin off to Ikea to get some desk tops and new Kalex units. It took a while to get my ideas across, but the falling apart Billy bookcase is now no more, the books have had a drastic cull and everything is now stashed away, and I have a work surface twice the size of the old one. Of course I then needed a new computer chair (new upgrade computer next on the list) but I have been much more productive in my new redesigned room and completed 6 layouts in January

I know I created that many because I have taken a totally new approach to my bullet journal which is working much better. Using a B6 size instead of A5 doesnt seem much bigger, but believe me it has made a world of difference. Ive even managed a playlist of songs each week, layout tracking, book reading tracking (9 in Jan) newpaper headlines, steps, dates and highlights!

We went with the boys, Laura and Wayne to Canary Wharf to see the Winter Lights display. In other years this has been a successful evening (apart from the year we went the wrong weekend and wandered around for an hour before finding a sign with the dates on, or the year I fell over the kerb in the dark and cut all my knees and hands). This year, the first year I had persuaded Laura to come, was not so brilliant. I dont think the organisers had taken into account Peter Kaye being live at the O2 just across the way. We certainly hadnt. We always park at the O2 when going into town as its cheaper than catching the train all the way. We usually plan our timings so we can eat there before catching the Jubilee line to where we want to go. This time the place was rammed. We couldnt understand why we couldnt get in anywhere, either massive queues or fully booked. That was until Laura checked her mobile and muttered the comics name at us. 

So despite my misgiving since on previous occasions we had not been fortunate in finding anywhere it was decided to go to Canary Wharf for food. Honestly does no one eat in London. Loads of bars, plenty of very expensive pop up street food vans but the few places we did find were again packed out. I think this was mainly because the organisers had cut the event length to one and a half weeks with two weekends involved. Everyone and his wife (and kids) had come along to see the displays. Most years Martin and I stroll around with hardly a soul in sight. This year we hardly had elbow room. 

Still the few lights we did see and the burger and curly chips we eventually bought from the burger van were good, and I think in the main every one had a good evening.

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