The reality of a birthday during lockdown

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my birthday would be in the midst of lockdown. I naively thought that the lockdown measures would lift in April or something, and kept my fingers tightly crossed. Suddenly cocktails, dining out and catching up with friends was out of the question. I couldn't get a grocery home delivery near to my birthday so that ruled out cakes, decorations and the ingredients for my afternoon tea idea. The reality is I don't have access to gold balloons displaying my age, or huge gold letters spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY (so you won't find any of that sh*t on my Instagram). I don't have banners or bunting or fancy cake toppers or cupcakes. The only telling that it was my birthday was birthday cards coming through the post (now all stuck on the wall as a glorified wall mural like we did last Christmas with our Christmas cards) and a sh*t ton of deliveries. And with that, a diary of a birthday during lockdown...

MORNING (AND BREAKFAST)

Lately I've got myself into a morning routine of yoga to gradually ease myself into the day and then more strenuous exercise to fully wake up. It's my birthday so I feel I can be exempt from exercising on today of all days ;)

Mr Curiouser and Curiouser is working today, but I am not. He offered to take the day off but is there any point taking holiday during lockdown? It's not like we can go anywhere. I'm not worried as we know we can make an awesome day of it until lockdown eases and things start to re-open again.

My partner surprises me with a scroll and it turns out to be a love letter which he has done in the form of a poem (this guy is smooth AF and always has been!). He was sneaking about the night before, printing, and running up and down the stairs so it all makes sense now! He takes my hand and leads me downstairs where he has prepared pancakes for breakfast.

He makes the best pancakes!

Maltesers chocolate spread is always a winner!

We have two pancakes each and share the last one (that's love right there!). Very happy and in a mini pancake coma (poma?), I then start opening some of my birthday cards and gifts. Friends and family have been very kindly ordering from my Amazon wishlist so it's a bit of a mystery knowing who sent what and it turns it into a guessing game.

Mr C & C starts work at 9 and I take some time getting ready. Today I decide to wear one of my favourite Oliver Bonas skirts with a black cropped tee and a spritz of my favourite Chanel perfume. I also ditch my glasses - which I've been wearing for the last two months - and dig out the contact lenses again. It feels so good wearing them again.

It's a fairly slow morning. I reply to birthday messages, take some calls, discover some lovely messages from blogger friends, watch Catfish, but mostly do some writing.

LUNCH

Mr Curiouser and Curiouser asks what I'd like for lunch and I really fancy something crunchy with ketchup. I love, love, love chicken dippers, chicken nuggets, chicken goujons and the like, but we don't have any in the house. We do however have fish fingers which really hit the spot. Over lunch we watch one of my favourite shows and tuck into biscuits afterwards (standard).

AFTERNOON

As the day goes on, the realisation of having a birthday in lockdown kicks in. It's a weird feeling. I keep getting reminders on social media about how I was celebrating my birthday last year and on previous years. I see the pictures taken with friends. I see pictures of this wonderful plant based afternoon tea I went to with my sister last year. Whilst it sucks being stuck inside, I know it's the right thing to do.

With Mr Curiouser and Curiouser back at his desk it does feel a little lonely, but I count myself lucky that we live together and have each other. I cannot begin to imagine how people on their own during lockdown must be feeling. That afternoon friends and family call me to see how I am doing and with that the afternoon flies.

On my birthday I usually chance a lottery entry and this year is no different. The jackpot today is 42 million but to be honest, I'd be perfectly happy with two zeros let alone a six zero number (every little helps!).

I receive an email with a voucher for my birthday and with that I discover a John Lewis voucher I received for my birthday 2 years ago which has a life of ... 2 years. I can't recall using it and panic. Cue a panicked online shopping session to see if I can spend it still. As luck may have it, the voucher is still active and I get on it ASAP.

DINNER

Dinner is a bit of an interesting one as I ordered a birthday meal (and pud) in our last shop but both went out of stock and couldn't be delivered. As luck may have it, I find some scallops buried deep in our freezer which I bought especially for Christmas and somehow forgot about. The main course is another case of digging about in the freezer, but to be honest, I'd be perfectly happy with a chicken kiev (breaded chicken again for the win!) or a pizza.

Tesco has imposed an item limit on their online shops so we didn't have any wine for a while (we instead prioritised the essentials). My partner raised a valid point recently: Order a box of wine and it will count as three bottles of wine but at the same time it will only register as only one item... GENIUS. So in our last shop we ordered some random box of red wine which we didn't have high hopes for, but it's actually pretty decent which is lucky considering we now have three litres of the stuff. For dessert it's a slice of the chocolate birthday cake Mr Curiouser and Curiouser baked for me (a cake meets brownie hybrid with tons of dark chocolate). It's HEAVENLY. Especially when heated (which is what we do).

You can't beat a chocolate cake!

EVENING

A quick, early dinner means a good long evening. Later on we watch one of my favourite French films (which luckily Mr C & C likes too) with wine and blankets. Later still I have a video call with my family. The last big call we did was over Easter so it's lovely to be all together again. I hazard a guess at who ordered what from Amazon and some how guess all of them correctly! I'm not sure how, but we end up talking for an hour and a half and it's now pitch black outside.

Whilst I couldn't have predicted a birthday like this, I feel like we made the best of it and although simple, it didn't make it any less special. It just goes to show that it's not things that make a day special, it's the people in your life.

First image: twinsfisch on Unsplash 

All other images my own!

11 positive things about this whole experience which will help make us better people

Urgh, where do I start? You low key want to watch the news but you also kind of don't because it's all doom and gloom and you are guaranteed zero news on anything other than the coronavirus. As surreal a situation we find ourselves in right now, it's important to remember that we are all in this together and to keep the faith where possible. I write to you today to try and spread some positivity at this challenging time. Today's topic: How will this uncertain time help better us as people?

Good vibes only

It will make us appreciate more

We take things for granted like going to the shops, seeing people and having access to household essentials like toilet roll and pasta. You will never look at a toilet roll in the same way ever again. I like to think that everyone is full of respect for healthcare workers anyway, but this whole situation will make everyone appreciate these hardworking doctors and nurses - who put their lives on the line every single day - even more.

It will make us more creative and imaginative in the kitchen

I can usually guarantee getting all the ingredients I need and I know what I'm going to cook all seven days of the week. The pandemic has thrown this into disarray for many of us. You can't get your usual ingredients. The shelves in the shops are empty. You can't get a home delivery slot. So at this time it's all about scouring your cupboards, fridge and freezer and being creative. I mentioned here and here how I helped calm my anxiety by taking inventory for everything I had in the fridge, cupboard and freezer so I know what random ingredients I have to cobble up meals with. I also have a spreadsheet with expiry dates to ensure zero food waste. It's all about being organised with a sprinkling of imagination.

It will make us check in with other people more

Normal life is busy, busy, busy and when you reach out to people by text / Whatsapp / social media etc, you don't always hear back. I'm good at reaching out and checking in, but I'm rubbish with the frequency I do it. This whole experience has made me worry about absolutely everyone and I've reached out to friends in other countries as well as here, and I've been in touch with my own family a whole lot more, especially as they are classed as high risk. The other day one of my best friends and I spoke on the phone which we haven't done that in the longest time (we usually just message each other and meet when we can). It was really lovely to talk and it's something I'm set on maintaining. If you haven't heard from someone in a while, I urge you to reach out to them and see how they are doing. You will make their day.

It will make us take better care of ourselves

Washing your hands after using the toilet, handling raw meat, touching bins and etc, and regular cleaning of surfaces at home should be common sense and a given, but sadly it's not to some people. Imagine doing these things and then putting your fingers near your face or worse in your mouth (blergh). This is exactly how bacteria and viruses spread. Whilst I have always been OCD about washing my hands, I have a terrible habit of biting at my nails or the skin around my nails. I've had to be really tough on myself to get out of the habit of putting my hands near my mouth. Hopefully this pandemic will help people be more mindful of their hygiene and / or habits. Including reducing the number of people who travel into work to 'solider on' when they're sick. There is nothing more important than your health and the health of those around you.

It will bring us together

There is a war time feel to this whole situation (just thankfully without the bombs) and however bad it feels, remember we are all in this together. Spare a thought to the vulnerable like the elderly and help out where you can. Get involved in your community (whilst adhering to social distancing of course) and reach out to your neighbours and help each other out. My heart has been warmed with stories of families sharing their supplies with others. Kindness costs nothing. And remember not to buy more than you need or stockpile so that no one is deprived.

It will help us appreciate quality time with the family even more

Not all families eat meals together. With many now working from home, former absent members of the family will be around more and able to join in with meal times for a greater sense of togetherness. As we're going to be spending more time with each other, turn the TV off and talk more. Watch less TV and bring out the board games and jigsaw puzzles. Play charades. There are so many ways that you can enjoy quality time together without needing going to go out or spend money. I've seen so many creative examples from home-schooled children on social media lately. And for those of us separated from our families and living in different households, it will make us appreciate future family gatherings in a whole new light.

It will help us appreciate our homes more

We are after all going to be spending a lot more time at home from now on. With an age of constantly needing to go places, see people, post the countries we've visited and things we've done on social media, we suddenly find ourselves enforced to stay home and not travel. With all the uncertainty and worry out there, we will appreciate our homes a lot more as a safe haven to be. Spending more time in your home than you normally would may help you realise that you actually like being at home and it may be a lifestyle change you make when this all blows over. If you find yourself spending a lot of time in one room (say you really get into cooking), it may encourage you to invest money into a home improvement / reno project rather than that second holiday you think you need. Investing money into your home will add value to your property and your quality of life.

It could change the way people and businesses work

With lots of people working from home for the foreseeable future, this could help companies that frown on working on home in normal circumstances, be more amenable to the idea in the future. Viruses are so easy to contract on the daily commute or from planes after business travel or a holiday. The more workers work from home, the less chance a virus will spread to other people in the workplace and multiply. Instead it will keep it confined to the household it started in and reduce risks of an outbreak. An agreed number of days working from home a week will not only help motivate individuals, but could bring about less annual sick days. I don't know about you, but I feel more rested when I don't have to commute all five days of the week. Also this pandemic could transform how shops and businesses operate - particularly the supermarkets - with more investment in people and resources to help fulfil the increased demand in online shopping.

It will help us take better care of the environment

Forget airborne viruses for just one second. Here in the UK we have had the most glorious weather since people have stopped commuting and have started working from home. Days of non stop sunshine and clear skies is unheard of here in the UK. It's a novelty. The fact that there is less pollution from air travel (less flights), factories (many in lock down) and commuting (cars being used less and no one taking the train into work any more) can't be a coincidence. As cabin fever inducing as staying home can be, you can't deny the good this will do the environment.

It will help us be more prepared in the future

This whole experience has taught me a lot and hopefully this is something we can all learn from. For me personally this has given me the drive to grow my own fruit and veg so I can be more independent in the future. Because if you can't get food and your supplies are running low, how do you survive? As a society, I hope this gives the government a kick up the backside to consider future strategies. At a time where isolation is essential, all stores should be closed. We need to have more of a focus on online food shopping with increased investment in people to meet demand. However such an arrangement is not ideal for individuals like the elderly who may not necessarily be connected online. During a pandemic, we almost need war time rations so we avoid the risk of people overbuying and depriving others. In an ideal situation, each household should be supplied with a weekly aid box. It will take into consideration the number of people - and their ages and health conditions - in each household and provide them with sanitary care, essentials like bread and milk, and healthy, nutritious ingredients like fresh fruit and veg. This will enable families to maintain a healthy diet and will ensure that everyone is on a level playing field.

It will make future cold and flu feel like a walk in the park

It will give us a sense of perspective and however crappy we feel from the common cold or regular flu in the future, we will have a new found appreciation that at least it's treatable and that we are fortunate to have the ability to soldier on and recover from it.

Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash

Say hello to Bailey and Tia!

Things here have been a little quiet on here lately and I can only apologise. It was quite the year. There were a lot of publicised deaths in the press (still massively in shock that Alan Rickman and Victoria Wood have gone), as well as one a little closer to home whereby I lost a member of my family. Any loss is horrible, but one where it's unexpected and someone just dies in their sleep and never wakes up... I was in pieces. I didn't take any time off from work to grieve properly and then amazingly work took a dramatic u turn and transformed 2.5 years of happiness to making me feel like nothing. It really hurts putting your heart and soul into something and then finding out it has all been for nothing. That you are invisible and undervalued because you are a woman. This in itself warrants its own blog post, but I'll save that for another day.

I don't want to dwell too much on the negatives as there was also plenty good with this year. One highlight was buying and moving into my first property after waiting almost a year. It's starting to feel more like a home now there's a dining table and chairs. But the main reason it's starting to feel more like a home is starting my own little family. A family of the furry variety. Say hello to Bailey and Tia!

Those of you who follow my Twitter or Instagram will have seen their adorable little faces already! One weekend I went to my local RSPCA but never imagined I would be putting my name down for two eight week old kittens that very day! With this particular rescue shelter, it's very rare that they have kittens that are still available or even that young / small. But as soon as I saw them, I knew.

They came from a litter of four and they were all named after drinks. Tia (Maria!) was the only girl, and their two other brothers were called Brandy and Bourbon (one pure brown tabby, the other identical to Tia). It was heartbreaking to separate the gang, but Brandy and Bourbon were more independent and preferred their own company, whereas Tia and Bailey were inseparable, following each other around everywhere - so it was an easy decision which two to adopt!

I am still really happy with my decision to adopt not buy. Although cash was obviously handed over, being a charity, I see it as a donation for the good work that they do and the care they give the animals there. But also the money paid towards the chip, registering, flea and worm treatments, neutering etc etc. - additional things I would have had to pay for on top of if buying from a pet shop or breeder. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking down on people who buy from pet shops. Everyone is their own person and makes their own decisions. But I liked the idea of rescuing a homeless animal rather than handing money over to people who have intentionally bred an animal for profit. For example, a local pet shop were charging £400 for a kitten and that sort of money is madness. I don't know how anyone can justify that.

But back to Bailey and Tia. They are growing fast but have great chemistry. They follow each other around everywhere and I can sit and watch them for hours playing and darting around chasing one another. Both have very different personalities. Bailey (black and white) is more shy around people, but is slowly becoming the biggest softy of them all. He sits up close to me most evenings and loves rolling over to have his belly rubbed. Tia (tabby) LOVES people and knows damn well that she is cute and takes it to her advantage! She purrs whenever she is picked up, chirps when she is looking for you, and loves hitching a ride on your shoulder / back. She has the cutest tail which she walks with all curled up like a husky.

Every day I look at them and they melt my heart. They seem to have that affect on any visitors we have too! They are cheeky little things and typical curious kittens who must see / do / play with everything. But so, so loving. And I can't imagine life without them.

Cupcakes, macarons, walks in the woods and a very Instagrammable brunch

Hello lovely people! What did you get up to over the Easter break? I managed to work my way through a lot of my suggested Easter ideas / activities which I mentioned in my last post ... so thought I'd do a little Easter weekend summary.

Cheeky brunch

I was a complete cliché and ordered avocado with poached eggs and smoked salmon. Too good. Although I don't understand how I can usually devour a full English breakfast without any problems at all and then when faced with a smaller - and healthier - plate of food, hit a wall. I ate through this proverbial wall (I can't stand wasted food!) but did spend the next few hours feeling about six months pregnant. But a long (7 mile) walk in the woods (see below) soon sorted that out!

Day trips

Earlier this week we took a trip to the V&A Museum. It wasn't the sunniest of days, so was a good day to be holed up inside. I could quite literally spend all day there. You walk in and see all the nude sculptures and busts on the ground floor. Some of them pretty sassy. I loved the intricate designs on the ceramics and glass (the iridescents being my favourites!) and all the mind-blowing masonry. Particularly the Roman pillar, originally 38 metres tall, but cut into sections to fit inside the museum, but even so, barely fitting. And don't get me started on the four poster bed with the dragons - I love the idea of dragons watching over you as you sleep! We didn't eat at the V&A this time as nobody got time for those sorts of queues. But South Ken is brilliant for food, so there are plenty of other options just paces away from any of the museums there. We opted for PQ as their chorizo quiche and freshly squeezed apple, melon and pineapple juice are to die for. 

Walk in the woods

On the one day that we were guaranteed a rain free day, a trip to the woods was in order. I'd heard plenty of good things about Highgate Woods and being just a few minutes walk from Highgate station, was easy enough to get to. I kind of emulated my "walk in the woods" look from this post with tan boots, jeans and a light sweater. I'd say Highgate Woods is good for those who don't like to walk miles on end, and is perfectly suited to children thanks to the playing fields and playground. However the woods may feel quite small if you're like me and prefer to cover more ground (we ended up walking the circuit several times). It's also worth noting that when exiting the station, you walk up an extremely steep hill which isn't very wheelchair / pushchair friendly. It's definitely doable, but be prepared - I was knackered before we'd even got to the woods, but it was worth the climb! Nearing the end of our walk in the woods, I got told off for swearing by a middle aged woman ("there are children present!") but in fairness 1) her dog was viscous and jumped at us out of nowhere, so it was a natural reaction to swear! 2) her "child" was about 13. I'm sure he knows worse. The c word at the very least.

Easter cupcakes

Blessed with the sun this Easter weekend, we decided to venture into town to spend some time in Primrose Hill - otherwise known as the most beautiful place on Earth. I'd seen on Primrose Bakery's website that they were doing some pretty tasty looking Easter cupcakes for the Bank Holiday weekend. So that was The Quest. We rocked up at the bakery but none of the Easter cupcakes mentioned online were there. Sad times. So we stocked up on cakes topped with mini eggs, one especially colourful and sparkly one with a fluffy chick on top, and some mini cupcakes for later. Annoyingly the mini egg cakes weren't sponge - they were crispy cakes topped with lots of icing - and were too sickly sweet to eat. But Mr Chick made for a very tasty cake instead (Mr Chick survived and is currently sitting in our Easter flowers in the lounge). We sat and ate our cakes on Primrose Hill, cooing at two of the most beautiful huskies being walked, and watched a huge group of people run an egg and spoon race. Not to mention the excellent views into London, product of a wonderfully clear and sunny day. 

Easter baking, cooking and gaming

My family brought me a macaron baking kit back from France which I took a punt on. I didn't photograph the result though as they were pretty shocking! Macarons are meant to be all smooth and glossy, but these ones had so many air bubbles in them. They were fine on the first day, but the day after they'd lost their crunch and were all soggy and messy. Still tasty enough (that ganache in the middle being the real MVP) but so awfully soggy you couldn't eat them without the aid of a spoon. So going forward, I won't be cheating with kits  - I'll just make from scratch. Yes, a lot more efforty and time-consuming, but obviously worth it in the long run! I had better luck with my seafood paella. I made way too much, but it made the first day back at work pretty special (leftovers are the best!). Other than that, there was lots of glorious downtime. Including playing old family favourites like Frustration and Scrabble. I didn't exactly wear the items from my "baking, crafting and gaming" look from this post here, but admittedly I have ordered the kitty shirt since! ;) I didn't receive any Easter eggs this year, but that's ok. I explicitly asked for no Easter eggs this year because as funny as it sounds, I'm kinda of over chocolate. I think I ate so much over Christmas that the relationship chocolate and I have has been a little.... tainted ever since. Don't get me wrong, I'm still the biggest chocoholic there is. I just need to break myself in again... gradually!

What have you been up to lately?

#14 Life as we know it

... festive edition!

What have I been up to lately? Mostly snuggling up in cosy knits. Wearing my camel coloured Zara scarf to death. Yes it's been the mildest December / January that I can remember, but it won't stop me wrapping up!

The cutest decorations on our tree at work. Just look at the miniature Christmas jumpers!

Christmas markets. My favourite food stall this year was The Frenchie on London's Southbank which specialised in duck confit burgers. Not the prettiest of burgers... but the duck scratchings and truffle mayonnaise were heavenly!

Christmas cups. I wasn't overly impressed with any of the festive hot chocolates this year. The honey and almond hot chocolate from Starbucks tasted massively of my nemesis... marzipan *bleugh* ... so instead I mostly indulged in Starbucks' Signature Hot Chocolate (the best!) and Costa's standard hot chocolate topped with plenty of cream (a must!)

Starbucks still can't spell my name.... 

Woodland walks with Mr Curiouser and Curiouser.
The mild weather has been ideal.
The ground isn't too soggy, and there's no snow or ice (yet!).

Coming in from the cold, warming up with a mug (or two!) of mulled wine

Isn't this parcel beautiful? My best friend Alison has impeccable taste!

Flowers from work given to me on Christmas Eve.
I love poinsettias - nothing makes me feel more Christmasy!

I had a massive digital detox over Christmas which did me the world of good. No Internet. No phone. No TV. I work in Digital so it was nice to have a break from it all. Just before Christmas I treated myself to one of those adult colouring books and I can now understand what all the fuss is about! There's something very relaxing and satisfying about completing a design!

Hope you all enjoyed the festive season and that you saw the New Year in in style! I look back on the last year with fond memories. It was the year I got engaged to the most wonderful man. We met in the first year of uni and got closer and closer over the years. I don't really do New Year resolutions (and I'm not going to start now!) but in the New Year I look forward to moving in with my fiancé (still feels weird saying it!) and planning our big day. More details on the proposal to follow at a later date!

Red velvet cupcake wine and a very warming winter stew

Bonjour! The last few days have passed in a blur of cake, boissons chaudes, crazy French driving and arctic conditions. We didn't expect it to be that cold in Paris - resulting in me wearing pretty much all the clothes I'd packed every single day in order to stay warm. After spending a few days in the city, we caught the last train back to London and used the day after to recuperate. Having the house to ourselves, we went into town to stock up, and made the most of the kitchen. To drink we had this bottle of Red Velvet Cupcake wine which we've found in Marks & Spencer before. Previously we bought it for the novelty factor, but ended up actually really enjoying it's smooth consistency and chocolatey notes.

To start we cooked scallops and chorizo in a lemon garlic butter sauce

We also picked up some cod to make our homemade Spanish inspired fish stew. 

With lots of herbs, tomatoes and paprika, it's the perfect pick-me-up for a chilly day.

Crusty olive bread was ideal for dipping into that wonderfully smokey rich sauce.

To finish, we had chocolate melt in the middle puddings

Having been in Versailles the day before, we watched Marie Antoinette, trying to recognise all the different rooms of the chateau, scarcely believing that we were on French soil less than 24 hours ago! Paris pictures to follow!