Reasons To Be Cheerful - Part I

During my year of not shopping, I realised that moping around and feeling sorry for myself was the last thing I should be doing; after all, no-one wants to be met with a sullen face and I was the one that brought all that debt on myself!

Instead, I made a point of seeking out little things that were not only free, but made me feel really happy, and it’s amazing just what you can find once you start looking. Although I’ve ditched the five pound a day rule for the foreseeable future, I’m still trying to control my desire to hit the shops and give my plastic a pounding. And, with everything that's going on at the moment, the thought of a quick ride on the retail roller-coaster is more than a little tempting.

So, to stop my shopping but still keep a smile on my face, I’m going to start listing my ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful’ and if anyone else wants to join in, I’d be delighted.

First up - Walking the dog on Autumn mornings.

The ones where the sun is bright and low, the leaves that have fallen are still crisp underfoot and there’s enough chill in the air to wrap up in a snuggly scarf and the lovely, new coat you’ve just bought to see you through the Winter.

If you’re really lucky you might even get to see a little chap like this in the undergrowth. Hobbs had startled him and he was just beginning to unroll again...

Six Sensational Days & Three Lovely Locations

It’s amazing what you can do when you drop your promise to curb your spending and embrace a promise to live life to the full.

We’d been planning a few trips away between now and the end of the year, but with less than a week until Kevin heads into hospital, we reckoned we should just squish the whole lot together.

So, we pooled our cash, packed our cases and set off.

First stop was Slaley Hall in Northumberland where Hobbs had a snuffle-tastic time in their grounds, ate handsomely from the sausage selection of the breakfast buffet and snored loudly at the end of each day; Kevin’s time in the pool and sauna was so extensive that he almost grew webbed feet and I couldn’t resist the lure of the spa and a quick snooze through one of their relaxing facials. Combined with cocktails on the couches after dinner and a few glasses of bubbly, it was the perfect trip.

Despite having to drop into work on the way back, I was still tingling and glowing from my spa treatment when we hit the Crieff Hydro a couple of days later. Another blissful episode of being indulged, pampered and fed to the point of bursting; kicking through the autumn leaves and pulling faces for the camera.

Our final destination was Gleneagles and the afternoon tea that our fabulous chum, Alan – or Uncle Mongoose as he’s known to Hobbs - had booked for us. Two hours and about a million calories later, we were heading for home; happy and relaxed in the knowledge that we’d done everything we could to put the worry of Kevin’s impending op to the back of our minds.

My two favourite lads having lunch in Hexham