Christmas Update....

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Well Christmas is over for another year and I hope you all had a super lovely break with your family and friends. Mr P and I spent it together just us. We were tucked up in our little house for 4 days cooking our own turkey and enjoying having some time off together doing nothing.

Part of me feels very selfish for doing this and not spending the holidays with our family (although I am off to visit mine on Thursday for a Christmas/New Year celebration) but for us it was a lovely way to close off what has been a year of ups and downs....

For those who are new to my blog a quick recap (cue blurry dream sequences)

This time last year we had just found out Mr P had cancer. At this stage we didn't know what type, what kind, how bad, any prognosis etc etc. Needless to say that was the most stressful Christmas ever. We spent it at Mr P's family home in Cornwall and it was lovely but for me the horrible thought that this could be the last one (yep I'm a pessimist in these things, in my family good news stories of the Big C variety are non existent) weighed heavily on my mind at all times. Despite all the fun stuff - and we even had snow and a white Christmas - the fear of what lay ahead was always present, I can't help it I'm a worrier...

Roll forward 12 months and Mr P is very much still with us, he has for all intention purposes beaten his cancer. Yes he still has regular checkups, no he's not yet discharged completely from the hospital but they are just monitoring him. There are no scheduled plans for any more treatment and he is as far as we are concerned, fixed. Or as Gordon Ramsay would say "Cancer. Done!"

This Christmas there are so many things that are new and exciting and positive...we are now engaged after Mr P's super romantic proposal in Paris, we have less than 3 until we fly off to Whistler for a 2 week skiing break (yep be fearful Canadian skiers this is my first ski trip you have been warned) and we are planning on getting ourselves a little kitten when we get back to add to our little seaside household. So life is amazingly good and I am so incredibly thankful as for a twist of fate it could of all been so different....

So back to my original train of thought, while I do feel selfish this year for staying home, being just us, it was also just the most perfect Christmas, being just us. I adore this man I am not ashamed to say - although after my last blog post about Star Wars notebooks the same cannot be guaranteed from Mr P ;0) and I am really looking forward to New Year's Eve, not because I enjoy going out on New Years (I don't I hate it, but Mr P is playing with his band and I love watching them!) but I can't wait to see the back of 2011 and say you may have started off sucky but damn, you ended really bloody well!!

So Happy New Year to all my readers, I send you best wishes for the start of 2012 and to all the exciting things that a new year brings (and yes I include new Filofax diary inserts in that!)

Lxx

Thursday Positivity

So inspired by Mr P and his Positive Thinking blog post here are my Top Thankful Things for Thursday

1 - Heavy Rain - yes I got drenched walking to the office, yes my feet squelched in my probably ruined shoes BUT it does mean I can put off washing the car for another week as she's not looking quite so filthy = :0)

2 - Tesco - currently my second home after work as I nip in to try and purchase anything that might entice Mr P to eat but as well as all the food you could ever need they sell cool stuff too - so I have a nice new top to wear to work tomorrow therefore no ironing needed = :0)

3 - BBC iPlayer iPad App - watching BBC telly on the iPad in bed wayhey nothing more to say other than come on C4 and ITV players follow suit please = :0)

4 - Half day Fridays - where I work we have a half day every Friday. This is more than amazing it's unbelievable - still - after nearly 2 and a half years that doesn't loose its appeal and at the moment it's even more fab as it means I'll be home to annoy Mr P by 2pm = :0)

5 - Spectacles - since purchasing my new posh specs at the end of last year I've been regularly giving the eyeballs a rest wearing my bottle tops instead. And I feel tres glam and intelligent while wearing them - until I open the oven and steam up granted but I have much healthier eyes than I ever used to = :0)

So there are 5 little things I'm thankful for today - it's not an exciting list but these are the simple pleasures that make me smile. What about you, what little things make your everyday that little but better?

The big reveal.....

So the big secret is out, finally, thank goodness. Mr P's recent guest post will have alerted you to some of the chaos currently filling my life at the moment. Now I won't be talking about that in much detail - as due to the overwhelming response he has received to his most fabulous blog post he is started his own blog to talk about boy things on. But what I will say is this..

(Hang on to your seats as its another list made up of 5 things....I do love a good list after all....)

1) Our NHS is amazing. Yes they get it wrong sometimes, yes it takes forever to get things done, yes they sometimes forget about you. BUT the care that Mr P has received in his current hospital (we tried out several in our journey for the truth) has been fantastic. Amazing consultant, fantastic doctors and nurses that are simply wonderful. I thank you all for looking after him so well on what as we often hear are abysmally low wages (especially compared to the obscene amounts of football money spent this week - sickening)

2) Once people know about the Big C the head tilt "are you ok" referenced in Friends by Tom Selleck's character Richard actually exists. Hilarious every time it happens, usually at inappropriate times with people I don't know well but I urge you to check that episode out and then try and not do the tilt. It is impossible not to!!

3) Being "strong" for your other half comes very easily when they are such a nice person. (Being angry at the injustice of it all also very easy) but it can be difficult. And the teary poor me moments take me by surprise when they hit. Thankfully just like the burn from drinking a good quality shot of liquor they very quickly pass. Just as well, as I really can't stand people who feel sorry for themselves and don't try and make the best of things. Point in fact - I get to eat all the chocolate that currently he can't stand. Winner for me (unless you are asking my waistbands as I think they are conspiring against me)

4) Most of the time no I don't want to talk about it. But thank you for asking. But yes please come and see us, talk to us, about anything. Lets remember that Mr P only has me a lot of the time for company - and have you any idea how boring I truly am dear reader? However all this time together is allowing me to demonstrate my multiple Filofax systems to him to try and wean him off his google calendar and back into using pen and paper!! Unlikely but I do love a challenge!!

5) Fripperies - many people may feel that my ramblings about Filofaxes, handbags, clothes etc recently could be deemed to be bad taste with the current state of affairs. I disagree, if I don't write them here then Mr P would have to listen to them instead of being able to scroll and ignore. That would be far worse for him I'm sure...

So there we go, apart from whining on about fuel prices or the hospital car parking debacle which I do, A LOT, that's my synopsis of what it is like to be a cancer sufferer's WAG.

Things on my mind or flutterby Wednesday

So today has been another one of those days that involved an early start, a fair bit of travelling, tons of waiting around, a large amount more travelling and therefore all in all achieving very little. Grrr. I know it can't be helped but some days you just think eesh can something just go my way for a change? And that was just the traffic getting out of our little seaside town!

However all this alone time in the car gave me some time to think, well actually I did have Mr P with me but he has this knack of going straight to sleep in the car when I drive us anywhere - either he a) feels so comfortable with the smoothness of my driving he is calmed into such a serene sense of relaxation he nods off or b) the sheer terror of being in a car with me while I drive initiates the conk out escape clause!!

Key topics for today's thinking?

1. What to wear to work tomorrow? Lame perhaps but as we have important people in whom I may be meeting requires looking slightly more well put together than normal. We have a so casual it is virtually student like clothing style in my office (I blame the large number of young people hehe) so a typical day's outfit is jeans, boots, vest/t-shirt and cardigan (it's chilly at the moment). Very unexciting. However tomorrow calls for something reflecting my stature of Manager (well something clean, ironed and not clashing would be a start!). I'm thinking black long jeans (these are new so I'm excited to give them their first airing) with a black blouse and my new purple patent shoes. The red heart print scarf will add some colour and some simple silver jewelery to set off the look. Combined with my grey check bracelet sleeve length jacket should look smart but hopefully media style trendy.
2. The 1 million work things I needed to achieve this afternoon/tomorrow. Big tick on being productive as working from home means virtually no phone calls or anyone to gossip with and therefore a chance to mow through the marketing plans, schedules and outstanding emails. Tick tick tick on the To Do list hurrah and a good place to start with a fresh list tomorrow.
3. Blog posts - I have a list of about 10 new blog posts that I am keen to crack on with this weekend. They involve lists, photos and some of my favourite things so I think you'll love them! So I needed to get them down on paper as a list before I forgot all my inspired new ideas.
4. Capsule wardrobes...I have written before about my wardrobe rut here and how I was trying to overcome this with focusing on key items/looks/words to reflect "my style". I have been doing lots of research in this manor and been following some great blogs of people who snap what they wear everyday - amazing inspiration. I especially love What Would a Nerd Wear,and Ephemera for these types of posts with Musings of a Caribbean Princess and SBV for really fab Fashion blog posts on what they wear/love. But then I read on Paper Rush Blog about a capsule wardrobe challenge for February inspired by a post on Make Do Style. What a fantastic idea. 5 days, 10 items of clothing/shoes, 5 accessory items (scarves/belts etc) A complete wardrobe snapshot which would make me wear my clothes in a different way (perhaps) so I read on and ended up on The Small Fabric of My Life where the challenge idea began. And then I read and read and read...a fantastic blog, really well written, witty and fab pictures which makes me feel all inspired to work through my wardrobe and see how I can start wearing some of those lovely pieces I have that never get to see the light of day! Could I manage the 5 day capsule challenge - that is one to think on for a while as I wear more than 10 pairs of shoes a week let alone with clothing thrown in...
5. Lastly and probably most consuming today has been the Personal vs Pocket Filofax debate. I'm having a wobble on my planner size change!! I have covered at length previously the Pocket Deco, but to recap: I LOVE my pocket Deco; she's classy, gorgeous and so much more portable. BUT I miss the personal size Chameleon. More room to write on the pages, the week on one page with notes diary which is my favourite format (I have the same in my A5 work Filofax), what feels like double the ring size to cram in all the information and the jolly Raspberry colour. I miss the larger sized stickers I use in it, the Day Planner pages, the decent sized To Do list pages.....will I ever be able to downsize totally? Have I made a massive mistake? Should I revert back to the Chameleon (But if I did OMFG the amount of money the Deco cost - bad girl!!) A quandary to be sure. Before I make any rash decision however I am staying calm and trying to bear in mind that new habits take 6 weeks to bed in and this is only week 2. A bit like starting a diet I guess I need to stick at and not cave and binge on personal sized planning just yet......

Things I Love Friday....

So it's Friday evening after yet another hectic and stressful week with travelling, work and general stuff getting in the way of the serene and calm lifestyle I wish to adopt (who am I kidding eh!). And as Mr P is napping on the sofa - I am making him watch girl programs to be fair - I got to thinking about the things I love/am grateful for this week. So here they are:

1. My new Brita water filter - nerdy I know but I've never had a water filter before or really seen the point in one. After a request from Mr P I sourced a new one in the sale in Debenhams and now we are a filter family. So after a rocky start with the filter (I mean you have to piece it together, flush it out so many times, work out how to turn on the magic water measuring thingamy etc it is not a quick process) I wasn't at first able to really tell the difference from tap water. However I am enjoying have ice cold water straight from the fridge while feeling mega virtuous - surely filtered water being the epitome of health fads means the consumption of chocolate orange is nullified yes?

2. The Philofaxy meet up - I am so ridiculously excited about this. With twitter conversations with other meet up attendees and emails from potential train buddies for the journey up to London town I am embracing my inner stationery nerd and have already started my shopping list for the visit to Filofax Mecca.

3. Sarah Millican - comedienne extrordinaire. Her self depreciating, real life comedy just tickles my funny bone to the core and watching her on Graham Norton tonight with Vince Vaughan and Diddy (Puff Daddy/Sean Combs or whoever he is now) was just ace. Poor old Diddy just didn't know what to do during the curry/fart/sex segment. Here is hoping I can get some tickets to see her while she is on tour as I think that will be a right old giggle.

4. Worse than my Filofax obsessions this week has been my excitement at finally collecting my gorgeous new handbag - the Fiorelli Black Loretta supplied courtesy of Mr P (another free iPad guilt moment hehe). I am loving this bag - it is large enough to fit all my daily clutter, plus with the 3 main compartments it means the iPad has a safe, clutter free location to reside when travelling out and about. There is the short shoulder/elbow crook handle and then a lovely long strap that does the long shoulder/cross body thing so well. I'll accept it is a BIG bag - I could probably fit a good mid week Tesco shop inside it for example, but it still looks (I think) sleek and lovely. Therefore a more than suitable accessory for the new glamorous and well put together me inspired by owning the mega classy Deco I need to up my fashion game to match her good looks so I don't let her down in public. A whole post dedicated to handbags may be looming!!!

5. Another highlight this week was Mary Portas Secret Shopper. The Queen of Shops excelled herself again illustrating that fast fashion comes at a price far higher than we realise. Don't get me wrong I love a good Primark rummage (strictly during the non busy periods however as I do not do jumble sale Saturday Primarni if I can help it) but as Mary so clearly showed being able to receive good customer service makes shopping so much more pleasurable instead of being a chore, plus we spend more because we feel valued.....simple lesson huh retail peoples? I also love Mary for her unflinching style and dress sense - while I can't afford her Louis Vuitton scarf my Warehouse equivalent rocks just as hard!!

So there are my loves this week. How's your week been? Anything really tickled your fancy or driven you to distraction by it's gorgeousness?

Lx

Couple more shots of the yummy new bag with Deco and iPad plus a Frixion pen for fun :)

Ooh it's a change of scene.........

So I have a new blog design thanks to Mr P :) He of the creative mind just updated my headers and even created a little WeeMee that he thinks looks like me (freakily enough it really does and I am loving the little purple top/dress). Phase 1 of the blog redesign complete! Well least he could do seeing as I came home from work yesterday with a free iPad for him (which also more importantly means I get sole custody back of my iPad huzzah)

I've been thinking about developing the look and feel of my blog for some time and even quizzed the owners of some blogs I love the design of how they did them - and then found out that my very own Mr P could tweak the changes I wanted. Am I a lucky girl or what living with not only a musical genius but also one that can work his way around a pastel pink background!!

So what do you think?

More layout changes etc to come over the next few weeks I'm sure but I'm loving the new style - makes me smile just looking at it and I feel all inspired creatively so lots of new blog posts are bubbling away in my head now too....

Lx

The Downsizing Experiment Continues - otherwise known as how do I cram my life into a Pocket Deco?

So I am coming to the end of week 1 using my beautiful Pocket Deco in Ivory as my main Filofax. You know the one that we have surgically attached to us, have panic attacks about should it be out of sight for more than 15 minutes and that should we ever suffer the misfortune to loose it our lives would be over (or at least a mystery as we wouldn't where or what we were doing).


So the story so far, I have been a committed Personal size Filofax fan for many, many years to organise my personal life (my work Filofax is A5 - nothing smaller could cope with my list making/project writing/note taking OCD) and until recently this was working out really well - I was happily in love with my Chameleon in Raspberry and she came in my handbag everywhere with me. And here was my problem, I carry about so much stuff in said handbag that it was starting to need it's own heavy load sticker. And then Filofax emailed their Sale newsletter just before Christmas - and there it was. The Ivory Deco half price. And an idea formed - maybe by treating myself to the most gorgeous Pocket Filofax I could start to downsize. After all how much did I actually need to carry around with me 24/7? And so with the threat of discontinuation nudging me almost as much as the enablers commenting on my blog about the indecision see here I bought the Deco. In Pocket size. And thus started the Downsizing of Loulou.

So how have I set up the Deco? (I LOVE reading about how other Filofaxers set up their planners so here is hoping my description lives up to the posts by Caribbean Princess and Plannerisms - very unlikely it will so I recommend that you should check their blogs out for inspirational planner set ups).

So a couple of shots to show how gorgeous she is...as always the photos are taken with my iPhone, in the kitchen so the quality isn't brill but you can get the idea......



How gorgeous is that clasp!!

And here is the clasp open...

And here she is open - I have some pretty business cards for jewellery sites in the card holders (left) and then a photo of my favourite building in the world - The Chrysler Building in New York so it makes me smile every time I open my filo up :)

Close up of the gorgeous suede interior with the business cards/stamps etc. Note the zipped pocket - I keep my secrets in here (well I would if had any!!)

So if we flip over the clear pocket containing New York you can see I keep vouchers behind the Chrysler - currently a discount voucher for Oasis. Then on the right is a business card holder insert - currently showing the business card of the lovely Mr P's band Hybrid.

Then we have the ESSENTIAL post it notes, so cute!!

And so to the diary layout...in my Personal and in my work A5 I favour the week on one page with notes format where I can record all meetings/events in the diary page on the left hand and then have notes/to do's/things to remember on the notes page on the right. However with a Pocket the size I think would be just too small to have this format so I am trialling using the standard week on two pages. And so far it is working out ok....

The cream diary that was supplied includes a little notes section at the top of the left hand page - so essential to do's can go in there. I then use coloured pens to distinguish between what the notes/appointments are. For example all social events like Hybrid gigs are in purple (or a reminder that the new Mary Portas show starts tonight - love her!) PM in blue refers to a work meeting taking place on Wednesday and Thursday. And things to do with appointments are in pink. I favour the Pilot Frixion pens as they are lovely to write with, come in fab colours and are erasable - so when plans change you can rub the pen notes out. AMAZIN!!

Close up of the diary in action (cue dramatic music) dum dum dum

I am currently using the standard sections of Diary, Notes, Information, Financial and Addresses...

Under Notes I have 2 clear dividers I love these as they help to mark out my sections nice and neatly. I have in there Randoms - notes just taken while on the move, Lists - of movies, books, blogs, to do's etc and then Fashion - lists of things I'd love to buy, outfit combinations that work etc.

Next is Information which currently contains all the important information on a special project - timings, contact details etc etc. Plus my London Underground map .

Then we have Financial where I am aiming, in conjunction with the Spend Free app on my iPhone, to track all my expenditure each month with a view to working out how I can save more.

Then we have the Addresses tab - where surprisingly I have people's addresses (shocking!!)

We then reach the back of the Pocket Deco:

Here you can see my stickers (love them for brightening up the diary pages) and the suede popper pocket which currently looks after my Oyster card for when I visit London town.

So that is my set up and so far it seems to be working well. I have to admit I am missing my personal size filo purely for the amount I could get in it and store within it BUT I am loving the portability of the Pocket size and the gorgeousness of the binder more than makes up for the lack of size that I am used to.

Let's see how we get on next week though.........how do you organise yourself, please do share

Lx

Things I love Friday...or just an excuse to wax lyrical

Well another week lurches to a close and it's been a busy old one for me again. However this week had a silver lining in finally some good news so to honour the fact that I am feeling positive and sparkly today I thought a little blogpost for a Things I love Friday was in order...

1. My gorgeous coffee machine - I bought a Philips Senseo Original in the Comet sale post Chrimbo for the bargain price of £29 and OMG it is lush. Yes it is more expensive to buy the pods than drink instant, yes it's an extravagance but I so love it it is amazeballs. Frothy coffee - mug sizes - at the touch of a button to be enjoyed in my super Starbucks mug (a Chrimbo pressie last year year from the lovely Mr P) hmmm must time for a second cup by now :)

2. Re-organising my Filofax planners. So this week I have started the downsize from Personal to Pocket for everyday planner-ing and started reviewing my A5 work Filofax (just waiting for a sneaky eBay A5 Strata to arrive so I can start archiving some of the work notes and streamline it a bit as currently it weighs almost as much as me!!) Massively long and indulgent blog post coming soon...

Cue gratuitous Ivory Deco piccie stolen from Filofax's website as I seem incapable of taking decent photos:

3. My new heart print scarf from Oasis which I bought this week in an aim to add some colour and fun to my winter wardrobe - there is only so much grey and rainy weather in my black coat I can cope without adding some kind of fun (slight issue in that it clashes with my glasses and they spangly pink arms but hey ho!!)

4. Twitter and blogs - I read and follow lots of blogs now and it is amazing how much you can feel you know someone via their thoughts and writings. Which, when you are trying to learn more about a topic or find kindred spirits who have traversed the same sort of issues (or obsessions Philofaxy and Plannerisms I mean you!!) can be invaluable. So thank you to all the bloggers out there expressing their secret truths or just expressing themselves you have been such a comfort as well as source of entertainments (and also driving more shopping Laurie at Plannerisms - the Paperie is just the most gorgeous website ever for pens, journals etc)

5. Finally and most importantly this week I have fallen in love my best buds even more - with so much going on at the moment it has been fab to be able to (again) rely on super lovely Miss B and Mrs L without them I quite possibly may go nuts so thank you ladies for being my sanity...

So there are 5 things I am loving this Friday...what are yours? Anything to be especially thankful for or that you love that helped you get through this week?

Until next time x

For the love of accessories.....

I have mentioned before about my Filofax addiction, I'm still currently desperately awaiting the arrival of the Pocket Ivory Deco purchased just before Christmas and no doubt caught up in all the delayed post chaos of the past few weeks just to torment me over my extravagant purchase.

Plus I have wittered on about my deliberations whether to purchase an iPad or not - to then finally bite the bullet and then find out we are to receive a free one from work (eesh the irony).

I have also blathered on about what to wear, pack, shop for at length...So it is clear that I am the sort of girl who dithers a lot before buying things, if you are new to my blog then read this and shake your head, preferably with loud tutting. I would say this is my only vice, being a dithering shopaholic, but alas I do like a glass of vino (vodka/cider and the rest) and I love my food. I do not smoke (hideous, smelly and expensive habit that I have never really understood) but I do love my accessories.

Beads, belts, scarves, shoes and most of all handbags. My general clothing tends to be simple and classic (well lots of denim and black t-shirts) which I like to jazz up with my accessories. As you can never have a fat day with a handbag, nor decide that a scarf makes your thighs look huge - however I digress.

The reason for this particular ramble is the current lust object of a new bag. It is by Fiorelli and pretty expensive (see here for the bag) BUT unlike all my other bags (honest) it is large enough to accommodate the essentials (Filofax, make up bag, iPad, iPhone, pens, tissues, purse etc etc) which admittedly many of my bags are - BUT it has divided sections which none of my current collection do.

The main reason for a segmented bag - so I don't scratch the exposed corners of my iPad by throwing my keys in the bag while it is in there.

Is this justification enough for the bag - um probably not. But I have been looking for ages for something classic, simple and good looking (much like the beloved Mr P, only joking should you read this) but large enough for using for work and when travelling for meetings etc etc

However it is January, the month of austerity...what to do?

P.S. for fans of fashion maths, I have worked out that by not parking in the car park adjacent to my office and instead walking in the 15 minutes from the free residential parking road I aim to use (apologies residents of that road) it would only be 10 days of parking spend to purchase said bag. This in itself is a welcome revelation as a) blimey that's a lot of money why on earth am I parking there so often? And b) think of the healthy exercise/fresh air bonus by always doing the walk.

Hmm maybe I'll just get a scarf instead and bank up a few rainy car park days....

2011- Resolutions, Goals and all things positive

So it is now day 3 of 2011 and so far I have managed to accomplish the following:

1. Recover from hangover due to NYE excesses
2. Cook the emergency snow turkey for a lush Sunday roast
3. Get very drunk with Mr P on vodka while playing Buzz (and Singstar apologies poor neighbours for our out of tune warblings at 4am this morning)

As you can see this is not a list packed full of notable achievements. So today after recovering from said vodka binge I pulled out my trusty Chameleon Filofax and decided a quick reorganisation of the layout and voila My Charter for 2011 (or new year resolutions) is born...



As you can see I've used a traditional To Do list to start entering my wish list for 2011 or to make it sound less formal and more fun my 2011 Charter. On this list will be things that I want to achieve this year, to push myself into trying new things but also to be used as a reminder to focus on the people in my life as well. So they are not really resolutions, more future achievements to live by if that makes any sense. By having them in my trusty Filofax it also means they will always be with me :)

So the key ones, for if I say them out loud here on my blog then I really have to do them are:

1. Visit my family in Oxford - I have a large number of relatives hat live in the Oxford area all on my Dad's side but we only ever seem to meet up at funerals so I want to spend a weekend enjoying the sights of Oxford as well hopefully enjoying some time catching up with the family.

2. Go to Warmwell - a dry ski slope nearby in preparation for...

3. Book a ski holiday with Mr P for next season. Mr P has skied a few times, me never, but his passion for the sport means it is something I really want to try. So step 1 is booking the holiday, then later on this year get in some sneaky lessons at Warmwell which will hopefully at least get me used to wearing the kit!

4. Complete a half marathon - now this will come as a massive surprise to anyone who knows me in real life, I have a gym membership and for a while I was very good at going but I have been bad for the past couple of months. But reading the blog Hang on Little Tomato has given me the courage and conviction to think if I put my mind to it maybe I will learn to love running, and having an ultimate goal in mind while we train should give the project a purpose.

5. Go to Snowdonia - I've never been, heard it is lovely and think it is worth the trip. Simples.

6. (an easy one) Enjoy the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury Festivals. I'm lucky enough to have tickets to both of these festivals with Mr P. And with a different mix of friends also attending each I think they will be fantastic experiences. Fingers crossed for the weather!

7. Learn a mixture of songs on the piano. Mr P and I for Chrimbo this year purchased an electric piano. I've never played, he played Organ when young so we are both novices (albeit he is so musical he can replicate tunes very quickly when he hears them and I am struggling to remember where C is) but I always wanted to learn. And now we have the piano there is no excuse not to be able to learn how to play and build up a repertoire of tunes to amaze the family.

So that is where currently I got to on my 2011 Charter list. But the plan is to also have a running monthly target list to help not only achieve these bigger goals but also allow for smaller achievements along the way. January for example includes which songs I want to learn this month on the piano, what the training targets are for the running task, finishing/reading a couple of books and also a loose x lbs target to remove the excess Christmas blubber layer I added to keep warm this winter.

And this is where my Filofax comes in (cue bad picture of gorgeous Chameleon)



As all the different goals and targets can be safely stored in easy to find sections but also be ever present to be the motivator that I know I'm going to need. As readers of this blog will know there is nothing I love more than making a list after all!!

If anyone has any tips on how to keep motivated with big goals and targets then please do pass them on I think I'm going to need all the help I can get!

And coming soon a full review of how I use my Chameleon Filofax, I love seeing and reading how other people use their Filofax so I thought I'd share my current set up with you. Of course this could all change as soon as the pocket Deco arrives (eeeee excited squeak) hopefully she should arrive this week once the postal service gets back to normal.....so I better finish that post asap

Review of 2010 from fabulous to fraught and all the stages in-between

So as it is that limbo time, the in-between section where one year is coming to an end and a new one is just about to begin I think it is a good time to reflect on the memorable bits of 2010 - good and bad - before starting to work on my resolutions for the new year. So here goes:

The Bestest Bits

~ My first full year living with Mr P
I moved in with the fabulous Mr P at the end of last year and somehow he has managed to to put up with me and all my quirks, eccentricities and mood swings during the whole of 2010 without kicking me out. For that he deserves a medal, instead he gets to play PS3 uninterrupted while I blog...

~ Las Vegas
Mr P and I went on the best holiday ever in the world this year, taking in LV and the Grand Canyon. I look at our photos from that trip often because they bring back such happy happy memories. Travelling with the other half can be stressful (more for him with my list obsessions!) but travelling with an other half who is also your best friend as I found on that trip is just the best feeling :)

~ The iPad
Since purchasing iPad (which didn't go without it's own ironic sub plot - see Un-Imagineable iPad Irony for more details on this!!) I have fallen totally in love with it's magic internet surfing ways, the amazing apps and the beautiful interface. The calendar feature while pretty will never work as well as my Filofax but is cute none the less.

~ Discovering the blogosphere
2010 was also the year I discovered reading blogs, being inspired by blogs and the year I decided to start my own blog. Not with an aim of being popular or inciting thousands of page views (although that does appear to be happening - very strange that people seem to be reading my ramblings!) but more that I started my blog to write about my life as a mini journal. A diary of sorts, where I could practice writing with the view that one day it would help me write the novel that I feel is inside me somewhere....

~ The year of live music
I love live music. Watching bands and singers perform live on stage is just a fantastic feeling when the crowd go nuts and you all sing along in unison - it is just magic. And 2010 involved a lot of that!! From going to dozens of gigs by Mr P's fabulous band, seeing Lady Gaga, the Kings of Leon and taking a very apprehensive Mr P to his first Glastonbury Festival it was an awesome year for me getting out and about. And 2011 is shaping up to be even better with Take That, Isle of Wight, Glastonbury Extravaganza and Glastonbury Festival 2011 all booked in the diary already woohoo

The Leaving in 2010 Bits (or crappy things that happened)

~ The big C - affecting more and more of the people I love and care about. Either directly because they are affected, or because people they care about are afflicted with this horrible disease. Enough already, please go away and never darken my door again. When you have been to more funerals than weddings at only 33 then something needs to change.

~ Nosy family and friendies - as a legally free but happily boyfriended up lady during 2010 reaching the age of 33 seemed to unleash the questions from hell...the If/When/Why not type ones. So in 2011 here is a forewarning - I'm looking forward to being a flighty "single" for a while longer. So no questions about when am I getting engaged/married/having babies please. If I am lucky enough to have any/all the above happen I will tell you I promise!!

~ Getting older - I love birthdays I really do, my own, other peoples, I just love them. However I am done with getting older, so for the record I am remaining at 33 forever more. Thank you...

So there are my highlights and a couple of bum notes that I am releasing into the outdoors never to darken my thoughts again hopefully (wishful thinking maybe but it has to be worth a try)

What are your highlights and lowlights? Have you thought of all you thankees? The things you are most thankful for? I know I certainly am and will fill you in all soon!







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Christmas Roundup or who's been a spoilt young lady this year then....

So I love Christmas - all the panicking over presents, the stress and spending and most of all the food mmmm. And this year is no exception just with the added stress of having the snow hamper journeys and plans.

Thankfully we managed to make it down to Cornwall for our planned getaway to Mr P's lovely family ( and the "spare" turkey I'd purchased will be a New Year feast instead). Anyway I digress, we finally arrived down in Cornwall about teatime on Christmas Eve - the fact we made it a miracle seeing as I was driving (with satnav navigation) as Mr P was a little fragile after his works do the night before and the heavy snow and ice still ever present all the way down.

But made it we did with the most treacherous part of the journey being the slide down their driveway to get to the house as with temperatures constantly below freezing the ice wasn't going anywhere but as it was dark we couldn't see how bad it was.

And after a delicious curry and evening with the family it was bedtime and that pang of wishing I was still a little un when Christmas Eve was the most exciting and magical night of the year....however this year waking up and seeing the thick snow outside for the first time more than made my day...







The frozen pond - here's hoping the fish are ok :(


And so it's the big day and Santa has been very busy dropping off lots of chocolate, biscuits, socks (him) and multiple coloured erasable pens (me) that it is a wonder he managed to fit in the rest of the UK! And how much do I love my Pilot erasable pens? Lots and lots and lots...as I can have the satisfaction of writing in my Filofax with a pen but with the flexibility of using a pencil with the ability to erase events and dates that change - genius. And now as well as the fabulous blue, pink and red ones I have an orange one - AMAZIN!! I didn't even know that orange pens existed, let alone erasable ones!! Using it on my new yellow Filofax paper (also courtesy of Santa) will probably cause headaches but will certainly brighten up work meetings in the new year.

And then everything wizzes by in a whir - The Santa Clause 3 on tv, an amazing turkey dinner followed by a yummy christmas pudding and apart from Mr P whining about the long wait to open his presents while his ickle brother went to collect his girlfriend it was a serene and picture perfect Christmas afternoon spent sat in front of the fire.

But back to the point of this post - despite being an undeserving recipient I was a very lucky girl and received a haul of presents that made me blush. With lots of lovely toiletries, books, mugs, bowls and a jewellery box I was just so excited with every unwrapping and then there was THE present. The one that Mr P said I had to leave until last and the one that contained a sleek and sexy white appliance - and not one for the kitchen!

So I am now the proud owner of a matt white DSi which came with the latest Professor Layton game. And it is just fabulous and I do have to admit I am a little in love with Professor Layton and his magnificent top hat....Mr P and I (when I can drag him away from Angry Birds) have been solving puzzles for the past 2 days and it's been lush :)

But tomorrow brings a journey back to my mother land of Somerset to visit my side of the family where hopefully we get to do it all again with lots more eating, drinking and presents. Mmmm wine and cheese..... You just have to love the holiday season with it's justified excesses on the consumption front (I just won't think about the new year diet resolutions until after January 3rd)

So wherever you are and whatever you are doing wishing you all the best for the holidays x


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Uh oh Filofax is calling again.....

I'm in love, again, fickle sort that I am and this time she's petite, sparkly and very, very gorgeous. Despite my other addiction to all things gadgety and shiny (iPad and iPhone anyone?) my heart really does belong to the humble pen and paper planner. However I really do think that it is time for me to seek out the FA - no not the football association but Filofax Anonymous. As this obsession is getting out of hand!

So here goes. Hi my name is Loulou And I am a Filofax addict.

So far this year I have bought 1 A5 Domino in bronze snakeskin, 2 Personal sized filos; a magenta Adephi and more recently a raspberry Chameleon. There was the bright blue pocket sized Domino - perfect for taking to Glastonbury festival with all the essential information and phone numbers in it and then the pocket Indie that was such a bargain in the sale at Staples I couldn't leave her behind to remain unloved in the Sale bin.

But despite all of these purchases (and of course I've not mentioned all the refills, paper and stickers that I've bought as well) I was getting the obsession under control (of sorts) so what does Filofax.co.uk do? They go and discount the Ivory Deco - the most gorgeous of all the Filofax whom i have been coveting for months and months. Normally she retails at £195 - so for me despite all my planner obsession an unjustifiable purchase when I have so many lovely filos already at home.

But now, it is half price, as is the pocket version, so it is now a far more affordable (if still very expensive) £97.50 - which if you look at it logically and I used it every day that works out over the course of a year at just 27p per day. An absolute steal I'm sure you would agree...

But then there is the pocket version, smaller than my current everyday Filofax which is the raspberry Chameleon, but equally as divine to look at plus a whole £10 cheaper. Would this encourage me to downsize my planner size? And if so therefore be able to downsize my handbag? I'm a bugger for carrying around a handbag the size of a Smart car most days just to fit everything in so potentially a smaller planner would equal smaller bag...

But the final thorn in my side is the fact that allegedly the Ivory Deco is to be discontinued so if I don't purchase it now it may be gone forever, a thought far too painful to entertain...

Aaah maybe I should just get both to be sure?

Being Prepared (or how to have a snow plan)

So unless you are living under a rock you will have heard about the current wintery conditions affecting the UK at present. Even Weymouth, the only place not to be affected usually has been struck down by the snow and ice this time around. Although we are now clear after a lovely spell of torrential rain this morning, the whole of the surrounding area is struck down under several inches of snow.

This is a major issue and I'll tell you for why:

1. Lack of post/couriers - I like thousands of others am stuck waiting for presents to arrive therefore leaving in "do I buy again" limbo. I mean do we court the Law of Sod and re-purchase those key gifts (assuming we can a) get to the shops and b) they have the bits we need) or do we hang on and pray to the god of Postal services?

2. Getting about - going to work should not involve dicing with death on icy roads, it is simply not fair. Now I am lucky that I can access email etc and work from home but I have realised I'm just not cut out for that. I am getting lots done but I'm LONELY!! So National Rail here I come tomorrow don't let me down pretty please as I have presents to drop off, shopping to do and I guess some work to do!!

3. Cancellations - I was supposed to be at a very, very important meeting today which got cancelled due to the weather. Everything else I can live with but when vital appointments are affected it becomes a more serious issue. This is the same for thousands who cannot make hospital appointments, family events, social engagements and let's not get started on the flight debacle currently happening all over the UK. I really feel for those people trapped in limbo at the airports just having to wait....

4. Christmas dinner - the lovely Mr P and I have plans to travel and visit his family in Cornwall for the festivities. But with their village currently snowed in and even my family trapped in their village in Somerset I've been forced to take emergency measures. Cue one turkey crown in the fridge with a "cook in case of emergency" sticker on it should we not be able to leave our lovely little home. I also have the must buy Christmas food list all prepped and ready in my trusty Filofax ready for any supermarket I can make it to this week!!








So here is to being prepared and having a plan but most of all here is to spending this evening dancing around the lounge in a sun dance praying for the thaw!

P.S. Apologies for the poor quality of the photo: a mix of crappy phone camera and dark lounge combined with my appalling photographic skills..I feel a New Year's Resolution to develop my camera skills coming on...

Un-Imagineable iPad irony

So here is the latest instalment in the iPad saga..readers of my recent blog posts will know all about my dilemmas over whether to purchase an iPad or not. After all the "will I use it" and "is it worth it" questions I finally caved and 2 weeks ago bit the bullet and purchased my gorgeous, shiny new 32Gb wifi only LoulouPad.

And we have had a very happy 2 weeks together iPad and I. We have bonded well together over movies, magazines and the apps store - special mentions to the Net-A-Porter, Sunday Times and Flipboard as today's favourites.

Flash forward 2 weeks and my colleagues are all partying at the annual Christmas do when our bosses make an extraordinarily generous announcement, FREE iPads for all employees. I mean seriously, they are giving everyone a free iPad, no strings, no signing in blood just old fashioned generosity. 

However I can hear the laughter from certain friends from here. Oh the irony of spending months evaluating whether to purchase an iPad to find after the decision has finally been made to then find out I'm potentially getting a free one.....

Ironic but yet amazing. And Mr P is smiling as he can see potentially the current LoulouPad becoming a Mr i(P)ad. 

iPad's First Day Out

So today is iPad's first day out on a proper work/travelling expedition. We are on our way to Kent for a meeting so spending 5 hours on a train there and then another 5 hours home again should be a really good test of a) the iPad and it's battery life but also b) my selection of Apps and how well they can stand up to entertaining such a long journey.

Currently loaded and available for use are:

1- Project Magazine. I've not had a chance to properly look through and read this new ipad only magazine by Richard Branson so am looking forward to starting it post my first coffee of the day

2- Eureka Magazine. Similarly to Project I've downloaded but not properly yet read the iPad version of Eureka - a science supplement that comes with the Times newspaper

3- Cut The Rope. Having completed the Lite version after Mr P downloaded it I'm going to give the full version a bash and see how long it takes before I get so annoyed I can't complete it that I give up!!

4- Christmas Presents App. Aiming to be fully organised this year I have a new app to record all the ideas/purchases for people for Christmas (this works alongside my Dodo Pad Christmas binder that I bought in the summer. Well I do love my lists!!)

5- Notes. A standard app but one at works so well for a list maniac like myself. Currently included in the list of lists are an order for the chinese takeaway we had on Monday, a list of presents I've bought but not yet decided who they are going to, a to do list for work, a to do list for home, a supermarket list for when I finally get to Tesco and my christmas wish list for my Mum

6- VLC. This app is designed so I can watch movies on the iPad that have not come directly via iTunes - exciting now I can watch movies on the go

So here we go.....


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Location:Trains all over the south

iPad.......the final!

So after many months of deliberations and trying to justify whether an iPad was an essential or excessive purchase I've only gone and bloody done it!! I finally succumbed and bought myself an iPad, upon which I am currently typing this blogpost no less.

My reasons for suddenly being able to hand over that fat wedge of cash for a non essential technical device after so many months spent debating the purchase? Ultimately it came down to 3 things:

1. Work - with so many magazines now offering iPad editions, apps and downloads specifically for the iPad being able to keep track of who/what/why becomes increasingly difficult when you can't see the pricing/interface/quality - this was only emphasised further by e release of Richard Branson's latest foray into publishing "Project" an iPad only magazine released this week(more on that later!!) And the news that publishers can now include iPad subscriptions into their ABC circulation figures makes the iPad versions even more important an element in my job!

2. A bad day - as lame as that sounds and while I had almost made that final decision it was a spectacularly bad customer experience in a certain high street opticians this week while I was attempting to spend the best part of £250 on some new glasses - I failed in this task due to the incompetence and rudenesss of said staff - that made me think sack it let's invest that money in an item I really do want and treat myself I can downsize the glasses spend to help pay for it!!

3. Short term living - it has been a strange few weeks with the loss of people close to so many and again making you rethink what is important and precious. Now while my family, Mr P and my friends come top of that list I did start to wonder what exactly I was waiting for regarding my iPad purchase. I mean having savings is very important but currently they are not making a huge amount of interest and let's face it with my family history I'm not likely to reach a particulary ripe old age so saving my fun times until retirement is a very lame plan.

So to hell with caution and reserve and hello to the Apple shop. And probably the easiest sale anyone has ever made on a £500 item! Me "Hello I would like to buy the 32g wifi only iPad please and a case" Salesman "um ok do you want to see what it can do" Me "No ta just bung it in the bag and let's go!"

So I have the shiny new iPad what have I done with it so far? Not a lot. Lots of web browsing (awesome it's just so quick to turn on, light to use and the screen is just amazing) downloaded a few magazine apps (omg they take forever to download with all their fancy video and graphical content - Eureka/Projet/Wired yes I mean you!!) and started to make lists and notes on things - mostly shopping things that I would want for Christmas but honestly I am trying to use it for good!!

So many more posts and reviews to come no doubt...but first surely there is a blogger app so that posting becomes even easier??

Happy doing nothing....

Currently it is 3.36pm on a Sunday afternoon and so far I have watched last night's X Factor while Mr P was still in bed (saying he is not a fan is an understatement and frankly there is enough whingeing and bitching between the judges to keep me entertained without adding in his twopenneth as well), watched the Grand Prix while squealing behind a cushion ( - so close and yet so far for Lewis) oh and put 2 loads of washing on, but generally that it is it.....and that's just how I like it frankly. Well it is Sunday after all!

Yesterday I read an article by Amy Molloy in this week's Grazia about people suffering in the "Burnout Generation" Molloy describes how she is one of a generation of mid twenties over achievers who are struggling to be able to down tools and just relax doing nothing - not something clearly I struggle with - apparently with all the stress and distractions of work/looming redundancy/debt alongside twitter, facebook, urban family demands as well as the real family it appears there is a whole generation of people so focused on building their career and packing every moment of their day full of experiences so as not to miss out on "opportunities" they are completely missing the joy of just being in the moment. It would appear that these Burnouts push themselves so hard to be the indispensable one at work, the friend that everyone turns to and as well as being the perfect son/daughter/boyfriend/wife etc that they completely miss out on all the small pleasures that life can offer up.

Now while I can relate to the manic lifestyle described by Molloy in this article as being indicative of my late twenties where working for a large retailer as a Marketing Manager I seemed to work very long hours, weekends and holidays and yet never really seemed to achieve anything. Looking back I can see now I was working not just to do the job/further my career etc but more working so hard as an escape to avoid facing the reality of being unhappy at home. And working in retail certainly offers an escape route as even the most family of events, Christmas, is the busiest time of year - gearing up for the boxing day sale...no rest for the marketing team then!

Fast forward 3 Christmases and I still work in marketing but only a 4.5 day week and instead of living to work it is working to live - and some of my happiest times are now just being able to enjoy the simplest things like sitting on Mr P's couch reading a good book (or a trashy magazine) while he zooms around playing cars on the PS3 (no I don't want to play and yes the graphics are fantastic) but the true pleasure is just being there in the moment, a snapshot of contentment and ease at just being ourselves but coexisting happily in the same space.

Admittedly the view isn't quite as awesome as the Colorado River from Plateau Point in the Grand Canyon but it is the same sense of contentment I feel looking over as he wins another race just without the exhausting walk back up the Canyon to look forward to.

An afternoon jaunt at the Grand Canyon.....

So midway through our trip to Vegas we spent the weekend at the Xanterra Lodge on the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon - a national park. Anyone who has been to the Grand Canyon will know the awe and beauty of the place which simply can't be described so I shan't even try however as they say a picture speaks a 1000 words.....

However what I can tell you all about is our adventure trekking down into the Canyon and the near death experience of getting back out!!

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and had a little amble around the top of the Canyon which is where this photo is from and we walked around looking for a good vantage point to watch the sunset, which was just stunning and causes all the rocks to change colours and hues continually as the sun drops lower and lower into the sky one of my best memories of the entire holiday (if you ignore all the other annoying tourists who were there - did they not know that we were claiming that spot of ground to watch so rude!!)

So while padding around we popped into one of the many gift stores and picked up a trekking leaflet and lots of information on the different trails that people can do. I also picked up the book "Death in the Canyon" and used it as the guide of what not to do. It would appear that most of the deaths in the Canyon are from 3 main reasons - not weather or rockfalls or even the local wildlife the main reasons are:

1. Photography - taking too many steps backward to get a good photo - I mean seriously you are on the edge of a cliff face and yet people loose all sense of danger in pursuit of the perfect landscape photo

2. Tomfoolery - again it is a cliff face made of rock and therefore crumbly but this doesn't seem to deter people leaping from rock to rock to show off and then slipping and tumbling

3. Stupidity - trekking up and down the Canyon takes a long time and involves using a lot of energy. Seemingly fit people have perished by simply not thinking it through and not taking enough water and provisions with them - something easily avoided by reading up on the do's and don'ts!!

So having read the book and the trail leaflet and deciding that the Bright Angel Trail was for us we figured we would see how far we could get - after a quick pop to the general store for the following key essentials:

1. Water - 2 half litre bottles each (knowing that there are drinking water taps on the Bright Angel trail meant we could refill these on the route)
2. Salty snacks - pretzels, nuts and Reese's pieces covering salt, carbs and chocolate wayhey
3. Gatorade - packed full of essential electrolytes we would need to get back up the hill
4. Torch - just in case it got dark
5. Hats - keep the sun off and heat in - being bargain hunters we managed to get 2 Grand Canyon baseball caps for $10 bargain and we looked v cute in our matching headgear honest!!

And then it was time to set off, we left about 11.15am quite late it would appear as we passed so many people already on the way back up and frankly looking like death (it was the midday heat we figured as the walk down was deceptively easy we bounced down the hill at quite a speed). Walking down you get to see so much of the Canyon although I wasn't allowed to stop and look as Mr P said you can look at the view on the way back up you'll need the rest - charming!! So after reaching Indian Garden where we thought we would turn around to come back up we got chatting to another walker and realised it would only be a 20min flat walk to get to Plateau Point and a view of the Colorado River - stunning view and well worth the extra walk or so we thought at that point - of course it had all been downhill!! But to of gone all that way and not seen the river would have been a travesty.

So the long trek back up begins and oh Boy its long. They say it will take twice as long to walk back up as it does to walk down and as we left Plateau Point at 2.45 that meant using the maths it took us 3.5 hours to get down it would take 7 hours to get back up - and we'd arrive at gone 9pm!!! Eesh. So it was hotfooting it time and power walk the cliff side.

And it was hard going I really struggled the first 2 segments of the walk up with the lovely Mr P cheering me on we finally get to the last rest stop where we only had about 1.5 miles to go and had made amazing time as it was only about 5.30 and got chatting to 2 other guys who had been trekking from 6am that morning as they had walked from the North Rim (now that is a long long long walk) and here I got my second wind ready to bounce up the rest of the trail with the end in sight. However Mr P having for so long been our cheerleader crashed and burned so it was left up to me to be chief motivator for the last stretch. Following the chaps from earlier (a shiny yellow mac became my guiding light to follow) we ploughed on one foot in front of the other and then  torchlight with one foot in front of the other until joy of joys we turned a corner and there were LIGHTS we had reached the top and could see lodge lights and it was only 7pm so we did the entire 12miles in less than 8 hours not bad for two unfit novice walkers (no sticks or waterproofs which posed issues when it started raining halfway up) and all thanks to the Gatorade.

I would go back in a heartbeat though and next time I want to hike all the way down to the river and camp down there - just as soon as they get a lift in to take us back up to the top!!

The Vegas Round Up

So I've now been back home a week after the holiday of a lifetime to Las Vegas with Mr P, and frankly I'm not happy about it. Las Vegas was everything I had hoped it would be and more I LOVED it, didn't want to come home at all and could quite happily have stayed there for weeks more. But seeing as I'm back here is my pocket sized guide to all the awesomeness that we experienced in my Top 5 from Vegas

1. Freeeeeee stuff
There is so much to see and do that is totally free in Vegas it blew my mind, from seeing the lions at MGM, to the moving statues at Caesars to the Mirage's Volcano and the pirate ship show at Treasure Island it is so easy to spend days just wandering up the strip dumbstruck by everything. My favourites were the Bellagio fountains (well we were staying there and they were amazing) and just looking at the New York New York skyline

2. Cocktails
Now I love a good cocktail (favourite is the classic Woo Woo, with vodka, preach schnapps and cranberry juice lush) and in Vegas they were on form, mainly due to the fact that I only needed 2 to be flying - strong is not the word for the measures but tasty they are. The best ones I had were in Treasure islands Oriental Bar and at the Venetian in the Venice bar, both were amazing and knocked me off my feet hehe

3. Helicopters
The lovely Mr P has a slight obsession for helicopters, he does get very giddy when he sees one while we are driving so I'd been thinking for some time that for his birthday this year I'd get his a helicopter flying lesson. However our Vegas trip coincided with his birthday so instead I booked us on a Maverick Helicopters trip from Vegas, out over Hoover Dam (and bridge!!) to the Grand Canyon north rim and then a long flight down the strip. Originally planned for a sunrise flight the stormy weather meant our flight was cancelled and we flew out on one at 12 instead. Now I'm not the greatest flyer, I get very nervous on take off and landing and turbulence freaks me right out so I was pretty worried that I'd be a proper girl and freak out in the helicopter. I could not have been more wrong flying in a helicopter is the most awesome thing ever. Being able to see so much all around you as you fly over such amazing scenery was just fabulous and one of the best experiences of the holiday by far!! I highly recommend everyone tries it

4. Shopping
Now as much as Mr P finds it very hard to understand the shopping was fantastic too. Being able to walk through the hotel lobby at the Bellagio past Prada, Dior, Tiffany etc was just fantastic. Window shopping only I'm afraid but it was fantastic to feel like you belong in the high roller world where spending $1,000 on a pair of shoes is a common occurrence. Should I have won big (which sadly I didn't) that would have been my first port of call - especially as they stay open until Midnight!! I did however indulge in a new bag, which I saved for before the trip and saved $$$$ compared to purchasing in the UK and despite Mr P's shock at the price is only about 25% of the cost of his new bass that he had recently and I can use my bag everyday!! The most gorgeous memento of the trip however is my new Tiffany necklace which in Pretty Woman style Mr P asked while I was trying on "Shall I buy that for your birthday" and whipped out his credit card. I do love that man!!!

5. Casinos...
Now you can't go all the way to Vegas and not talk about the casinos. They are so vast with so many tables, machines and games it is mind blowing and no matter what time of day you are there it is always busy. The machines are full of ladies of a certain age who just keep hitting buttons, the poker machines have aged, haggard old men who look like they have been there since before the hotel installed the machines and the high stakes rooms are full of the glamorous people who know how to play (unlike me) and play big. The most confusing game has to be Craps though, extremely popular and the only gambling game where it seems acceptable to scream and holler when winning despite reading the gaming rules and instructions remains an elusive enigma to me - I get that you throw dice and need to roll certain numbers but as to where you place the bets or how exactly you win anything confused to hell. Fun to watch though!!

So there are my top 5 - which to be fair does include much more than that and there is so much I've missed out if you get the chance to go - take it! And stay at the Bellagio its fantastic!! x