Friday Round Up

flaked out in the heat - hot dog - does ice cream count as fluids??

new housekeepers cupboard all finished (and half installed) - yums - cute sign outside church

sunday afternoon in the garden with the family - bliss - getting plenty of rest

instagram - madeupoflittlethings

I don't want to brag or anything. But I've had a FABULOUS week! I had a week of annual leave to use up before my maternity leave starts in September and, having heard that we were due a heatwave, I surprised myself by being organised enough to book this week off work. And I'm mighty glad I did!

Pregnancy is pretty knackering and the heat really doesn't help matters so I've done a bit of sunbathing but not as much as I would have liked to, I just can't bear the heat. So on my days at home I've bobbed in and out of the house, resting in the shade between short bouts of sitting in the sun. But I've enjoyed it so much! Sitting in the garden with the dogs, sipping a cold drink and reading a book, watching the chickens amble about the garden and listening to the birds in the trees - it's just been heavenly. You know that feeling of not being in a rush, not mentally planning what you are going to do next and for the rest of the day because you don't have anything pressing to do except relax? I can't really remember the last time I had that feeling - probably the last time we went abroad, which was Goa in 2010 - far too long ago!

I've had a couple of days out of the house, I had a midwife appointment on Tuesday so as we were in town we went and did some carpet and sofa shopping for the new house as well. Wednesday was my sister's birthday so I took her and my nephew out for lunch and a quick amble around the shops. And yesterday we crossed the Humber Bridge to Hull to visit a couple of retail parks where there were lots of shops in one place, to save me from more walking than necessary. We managed to find two perfect armchairs for the new kitchen and a gorgeous sofa for our 'cinema room'. It's U shaped and it's all different bright colours which I really wasn't keen on, being a fan of neutrals. But when Matt pointed out that the room would have to be painted in a very dark colour, including the ceiling to prevent glare on the TV screen it suddenly made sense and I agreed he was probably right. Even if it does look like a clown has patched it together!

The biggest purchase we made was ... wait for it ... a solid oak cot bed and mattress for the baby! We spent ages dithering over it and then Matt went and made the decision himself, including picking a mattress, whilst I popped to the Ladies. I was most impressed! With the cot and pushchair ordered I'm starting to feel a little more organised. Despite making endless lists I haven't really bought much yet so I need to get cracking. It also brought home how expensive baby stuff is, I really do need to start buying the big items otherwise I'll bankrupt myself come October!

After our shopping expedition I'm resting today, I'm a bit achey and sore. The SPD is still an unwelcome guest but it's manageable now, I just need to remember not to do too much. Rest is the best thing and let's face it, who wants to do much else in this weather??

This weekend we'll be having barbecues and sitting in the garden a lot, as well as keeping up with our nightly ritual of watching the Tour de France highlights. I'm already dreading going back to work on Monday but I'm officially on maternity leave countdown now - just eight more weeks of work for me!

What have you been up to this week?