Spa Day!

Yesterday was St. George’s Day, Patron Saint of England! I missed it!!

Here is Miss Floof, defloofed!!! She looks so much better and smells alot better too! She was very good at her Spa and when she got home, after being out for necessary duties, got a Bonio biscuit!

I am busy trying to catch up with home jobs as I am so far behind. In fact I have cancelled my haircut tomorrow to try and get on top of things. One thing that does wind me up is when our home is in chaos, The old saying of “Tidy House, Tidy Mind” certainly applies to me!

Off to get some more washing done and then down to the basket of ironing! Have a Wonderful Wednesday, half way through the week.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Skinny Coco xx

Coco’s Corner.

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Mom says this is why I need a haircut and a long time at the Spa!!! Because I can hardly see around my furs!!

I am very woolly at the moment as you can see but I will be super skinny tomorrow although Mom says it is going to be cold so I will no doubt be shivering when I come home!!!!

We all had a very busy Sunday and I spent the day helping Mom and Dad do the Spring Cleaning, which meant that I did not get any sleep all day. Yesterday I spent the whole day in my basket next to Mom’s desk sleeping! It is very hard working doing this Spring Cleaning.

Mom wanted me to show you her Rhododendron at the top of our garden. It hardly had any flowers on it last year, but this year it is glorious. Mom chose this one as it was the lovely pale pink/peach colour, she already has a lovely pink Rhododendron and also a very pale pink one as well so this was a great alternative. There is a blue one which Mom would like to get as well.

Mom and Dad are hoping to get the Spring Cleaning finished this weekend. It was going to be a gardening day but the weather looks like it is going to be raining again, but at least they will get one set of jobs done. Dad has another weekend free in May when Mom is hoping that will be good weather to get garden jobs done then!!!

Happy Tuesday and I hope you are having a lovely Woofy Day.

Coco xx

A New Week!

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Last week was busy with work but I seem to have gotten behind with home jobs, partly because I am decluttering as well as trying to Spring Clean too! At the weekend DH helped alot with the jobs and we got the back of our home done, ie the kitchen, laundry, downstairs bathroom and our den which is our office. We started on the sitting room but only got three bookshelves cleaned but we did sort out the books too.

We also got to see Eldest, Partner and Little Man on Saturday. Do you know what, whenever we start a job something else happens which means we have to stop and sort something out. On Saturday a bird got into Eldest’s office at his garage business! It managed to get itself out again but then DH and Eldest were blocking up holes where they think it got through! I mean really!!!

Three Pictures of Little Man, laughing and smiling.

Already in our pram wrapped up to take The Girls to school because guess what? It is raining again today!

Daddy asked him if he was okay? He is!!!! 🙂

We have a very busy week this week. Been working all day today and I have a huge basket of ironing to get through. Tomorrow DH has to get his windscreen replaced as a stone hit it and it now has a huge crack in it (!) so I will be running him round, I also have lunch with another friend, who is also called Sue tomorrow and DH has a meeting in the evening. Wedensday Miss Floof is having a Spa Day and boy does she need it although it is due to be cold most of this week which is just typical when I get her hair cut! I will also be at Eldest’s to do his work. Thursday I have a hair appointment (we both need a haircut!) and then DH has another meeting in the evening but this time by Zoom. Friday will be home jobs and grocery shopping and this coming weekend DH is at home. I know two weekends without a swimming event who would have thunked it! My aim is to get the Spring Cleaning finished and also spend some time tidying our garden, if it is not raining again!

4th, 5th & 6th of May is a long weekend for us but DH has a swimming event on, on all three days, so I will be doing some sewing and perhaps getting some more decluttering jobs done at home as well. I am really hoping that Spring will appear soon and some warmer temperatures because we still have the heating on at home!

When I have done the cleaning and it is all tidy again I will show you some pictures. I have been watching some Instagram reels of women spring cleaning their homes and I find it fascinating to see everyone’s version of spring cleaning. Also quite a few of decluttering and I do find that inspiring. I think we are all guilty of keeping hold of things, I know I am but I am also good at letting things go too. We have already taken quite a bit to the local charity shop which is for Cancer and they have sold quite a bit, so I am now on a mission to sort more out!

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful weekend a great week to come.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Molly.

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It is with a heavy heart that we have learnt that Dear, Sweet Molly has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

I always say it is the very worst bit of having our wonderful fur babies, when they leave us and no matter how long they have been with us, it is always too short.

I originally found Molly’s Blog several years ago and like Sue we have had Airedales for years, my Grandfather used to breed them before 1939, so they were very much a family breed. From reading Molly’s Blog we got to know her and Sue very well and although we are three thousand miles apart, great friends which means the World to me. We, of course, went through this when our darling Treacle passed over the Bridge two years ago, Sue and Molly were there for us then.

Our love, thoughts and hugs go out to Molly’s dear Mom, Sue.

Susie & Coco xx

What Day Is It?

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So Saturday dawned early with rain, again, and DH was off to the swimming event. This event is a special one as it is for a charity for people with cerebral palsy. What these swimmers over come to get in the pool and swim is just amazing. I got up early too to make dinner and finish my ironing before heading to see Little Man and the family. Got there at about 1.30pm and had a lovely afternoon with them all. DH also made it after the event to see them and we left to come home about 6.30pm. We had dinner and got some things cleared up and as we had been up early went to bed early and DH decided to have a bath! Unusual in our home as he and the Boys tend to shower every day.

I got into bed and was watching TV and promptly fell asleep. I had my phone next to me on our bed by accident as I usually put it on my night stand and you can imagine my surprise when it rang at midnight! It was Eldest. He had been changing Little Man and found that one side near his groin was hard. When Eldest was nine months old he had a hernia down there which was repaired by a little opearation during one day. He has always known about this as I have told him and so was aware of the signs and asked me if I thought it was this and I said probably as it is very common in little boys. Anyway they wanted to take him to Children’s A&E just to be safe, so DH and I went over to look after the Girls, who were fast asleep, whilst they all went to the hospital. They got there at 12.45am and then had to wait of course. DH managed to nod off on the sofa and I was watching TV quietly.

Anyway they saw the Doctor who said that It could be a hernia and it can run in families but as he is nine weeks old it may repair itself, ie as he grows, without an op like Eldest had. They are just to keep an eye on things and have certain things to look out for. Now every time we had to take the Boys to A&E (it was not many) as soon as they got in there and saw the toys they perked right up and were laughing and playing. Well Little Man did the same, as soon as he arrived he woke up and was busy looking around at everything and smiling! So obviously that runs in the family too!!!

The Stand at The NEC, they are there all week.

They got back at 4.00am and we had drinks and then we got home at 4.30am when the birds were starting to sing! We went back to bed until 10.00am and then DH left for the NEC to set up the exhibition for this week! So all the jobs I had planned for yesterday went out of the window and now it is the start of the week. Needless to say I am feeling very tired today! I have been working all day and have some jobs to do tonight whilst DH is out at a swimming meeting!

Coco managed to find her ball which had been outside all winter!

DH did get the lawn mown yesterday as it has finally dried out. Coco was in her element racing around whilst DH was mowing. We also got some rubbish thrown away and tidied up the shed and we are hoping that this coming weekend is going to be nice to carry on getting things tidy. I will get some pictures. This morning we have had all range of weather; rain, sleet, sunshine and high winds!!! I really don’t like April!!!

Eldest and the Fire Crew got called out to try and get a bird out of a home’s chimney. They could hear it in there and fortunately it was not lit. By the time they got there the bird had fallen down the length of the chimney and appeared in their room! Here he is looking very mucky, he is actually a Barn Owl which are normally brown and white!

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful weekend and a great week to come.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Susie’s Friday Book Club.

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I was doing so well with posts and then I had to try and catch up with work and other jobs I had not got done whilst painting!! The painting of the kitchen, laundry, downstairs bathroom and den are now done and I have also decluttered the den as well. Just now need to spring clean them and put the pictures back up and I will be able to show you photographs!!!

Today Is Book Club day and I wanted to show you the next book I am reading.

Now you know that I re-read a lot of my books again and again, which I always say says a lot about my brain! I do remember the story but not all the ins and outs of it which is why I can re-read them. DH however cannot as he has a photographic memory and remembers everything!! Anywho I have read this book before, a long time ago though, but wanted to read it again. You know I love Agatha Christie so reading her books are like visiting old friends.

Roger Ackroyd is in love but he knows that she is harbouring a secret which is weighing heavily upon her, she killed her husband. Sadly she cannot stand the pressure any longer and kills herself but Roger thinks she was being blackmailed, can he sort it out. A letter arrives for him with a clue but before he finishes the letter he is killed. Can Hercule Poirot sort the mess out and reveal the killer and blackmailer, are they one and the same person or two people acting together or separately?

I love Agatha Christie’s books because of the time period they are set in, which harks back to simpler times especially a slower time, rather than the frenetic pace we all seem to ive at now. If you love detective fiction then this is one for you.

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DH has a swimming competition tomorrow all day and then Sunday he is setting up the business exhibition which is on all next week at the NEC. I have planned to get home jobs done on Sunday and tomorrow I will be seeing Eldest, Suzie and Little Man for a bit and then getting some more decluttering jobs done. Next week for me will be work, of course, but also doing the Spring Cleaning. I will be doing a room a day. Tuesday Jayne and I are out for lunch and can’t wait.

Don’t say it too loudly but our weather has been a bit nicer over the last two days! Warmer and no rain and that has got to be a bonus. The weekend after this DH has no swimming on (!) so we are going to do some painting again, the main bathroom, and also if the weather holds get out into the garden! Again I will try and show you pictures.

Have a wonderful weekend you lovely lot.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xxxx

A Quilty Post!!!

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I realised when I had a lovely comment from Jo yesterday regarding my quilts that I have a few more to show you which I have not added to My Quilts page! So as you know this is supposed to be a quilting blog but has turned over the years into yes Quilting but also my crazy life! Anywho here are some quilts I have made but not shown you!

This is Little Man’s first quilt I have made for him. I just love the colours in this quilt and it is such a Boy quilt.

I got some lovely Christmas material a while ago which I did show you but I made them up for Christmas two years ago and sure enough they got put away separately to the Christmas decorations and we have not found them since, until we started to sort the attic out! Found them now!

I drape these over the back of chairs.

Our very good friends, Pat & Alan, bought a caravan to go on holiday after the Covid years and so for Alan’s Birthday I decided to make him a quilt for when they go in the van. I managed to get some caravan material and also some seaside material. I chose a blue spot to got with the blocks and on the back used some lovely green material that my very good friend Susan sent me. It really went very well with the blocks.

Pat, Alan’s wife, said it was too nice to go in the caravan!!!

I got the flower fabrics at The Festival of Quilts years ago. I don’t know about you but sometimes I have to wait for the right project to use a set of fabrics and this came to me when I found this grey checked fabric to make this little lap quilt. It was a House Warming gift for Chloe who is at The Spa I use and does all my Spa jobs.

I will put these onto My Quilts Page too. I love having them there to see what I have made over the years.

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We got the painting of the kitchen, den, laundry and downstairs bathroom finished, although the house is still in a mess because we have not had time to clear everything up yet. DH was out all day yesterday at the swimming event so I am spending today to try and get things tidy again! We are hoping to get the little bit of painting done in the upstairs Bathroom at the weekend. We are planning on getting our room done at the long weekend at the end of May and then the dining room at the long weekend at the end of August! Well that is the plan. The sewing room is quite small and will be painted brilliant white so we might be able to get that done in a weekend, when we have one spare!!!

We have had high winds and rain here today. This little rat lied in February! Early Spring my eye! I am not sure if Spring is ever going to put in an appearance but we may just go straight into Summer! Thanks Phil for nothing!!!!

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful weekend and a great week to come.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Happy Sunday.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

DH is out all day today at a swimming event, so I have plans to sort the bookshelves today. I probably should be doing a million and one other jobs, well I am going to be doing the laundry as that has not been done all week because we have been painting in there, so there is a bit of a backlog!!!

Yesterday was quite warm during the day and it is going to be the same today so I am going to open the windows and let some air in. I don’t remember the last time I had the windows open as it has been so wet over the winter. I really hope that this will be the start of spring, although it is due to rain again later today. Can’t wait for April to be over!!!!

Also want to get some baking done too. Not done any for ages so that will be a nice job to do today. I am all about doing happy jobs today rather than those that need or have to be done!!! I hope you are all having a great day.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

AI – Telling You Off.

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AI (Artificial Intelligence) – a lot of things being written about it and how it could impact us and the World and even take over in the future à la “Terminator”. However I am sure that they are taking over already. Especially the machines in our home which nag me! I bought a new washing machine and tumble dryer which have an app for your mobile. SO when they have finished washing or drying you get a notification and if you don’t deal with it, it carries on messaging you! The same goes for the dishwasher! I mean I know you have finished the job you are doing, you don’t have to keep nagging me!

We do not have an Alexia or any other type of version of it but we know friends who do and they say that she nags them and one set of friends ask her to do things and always say please and thank you to it, just in case!

The same with updates on the computers, lord help you if you don’t do the update straight away as again it reminds you every time you sit down to do any work.

So I don’t think that AI will be taking over and doing our jobs, no they will be sitting there telling us all what to do and nag us when we don’t!!!!!!!!

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Coco is having a lazy day today! I have swapped days to go to Eldest’s garage and this is her in her basket just before I left, she did not want to move today! She is going to be Spring Cleaned, well her beds and baskets are, this weekend, so no doubt she will be on our bed as hers are in the wash! Just need to get her in for a spa day as well!

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We put our Clocks forward one hour over the Easter weekend and I absolutely hate this for about two weeks until we get used to it!! In fact I never feel right until we put the hour back in October!!! I love the light nights especially in the summer when it is nice and warm (hopefully) but it is still hard. I have also been going through a waking up at stupid O’Clock every night. Sometimes it is 2.00am, mostly it is 3.00am and occasionally it is 4.00am! We get up at 5.00am anyway but it does not matter how busy in the day I am or what time I go to bed It is always the same and when I do wake up say at 3.00am I am wide awake!!!!! So I am writing this now at 3.30am whilst everyone else is asleep snoring!

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Decluttering is going well. I saw people doing this on various Instagram reels and as we had to clear out my Grandmother’s home when she passed away, which also had my Great Grandmother’s things in as well, I am determined not to leave our Boys with a mess. It took DH and I over a month to sort out my Grandmother’s home and we found all sorts of things but a lot of it we had to go through and get rid of. My Grandmother had a habit of putting a letter or bill back into the envelope it came in and then keeping it, so we had hundreds and hundreds of envelopes to go through to check what was in them. This was obviously long before recycling and so we took about three trailer loads of just paper to the local tip!

No matter how much you try, you still seem to collect clutter. “I will just keep this as I may need it…” I think we are all guilty of that saying!!! So I have gone through my pile of things and gotten rid of a lot of it! Where I can it goes to the charity shop and if it really cannot be repurposed it then goes to the recycling centre and if it really is bad finally the bin. When we did the attic I sorted out the spare bedding and towels and now have one set of guest bedding and towels and spare quilt and the other set went to the charity shop. Old quilts and towels DH uses in the garage for packing when making a delivery and old towels are used for the same and Coco has also got a “new” towel for her. I will try and show you some pictures of the sorting process.

One big job I am going to do, which is a job I actually love doing, is editing my books. As you know I re-read all of my books so keep all of them but I do have some which I know I do not want to re-read again so they will definitely be going in the donation pile for the charity shop. This, of course, means that I will have a little bit of space on my shelves, which means I will be able to get some more books!!! A win, win in my book!!!!!!!!

I have also edited my wardrobe and gotten rid of some things I don’t like or will not wear again and had a good tidy up. Our dressing room is looking a lot tidier and I now need to move on to my toiletries and make up. I have bought some plastic drawer liners to sort them out into categories to make it easier to see and use things. Again I will get some pictures for you.

I have noticed, watching some of these cleaning reels on Instagram, how people do not have a lot of things and I don’t think I could go that far as to have a completely minimalist home, as I love my things but I do know there are a lot of things that I can get rid of! I think you just have to strike a balance which is right for you. Well it’s a plan anyway, I will let you know how I get on!

Have a wonderful weekend you lovely lot! DH and I and finishing the painting of the kitchen, laundry, den and downstairs bathroom and again I will show you pictures. The colour is nothing exciting as it is brilliant white but it looks so clean and fresh.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xxxx

Two Busy Weeks!

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Sorry there has been a lack of posts over the last two weeks but it has been hectic, but what else is new. The week before Easter was busy with work and then DH had a meeting every night of that week so that meant it was busy in the evening too, trying to get things done. I have done a few Spring Cleaning jobs, I got Youngest’s room done but it has been put on hold as DH and I were trying to get some decorating done too.

Anyway as this is a catch up Post it will be picture heavy! Here to start with are some little man pictures of a growing boy!

Good Friday DH was at the Garage with Eldest sorting some jobs out and I spent the day sorting the laundry out, Saturday DH was out all day at a swimming event, whoever thought it was a good idea to have an event on Easter Saturday?!!!! Easter Sunday they were all with us which was a lovely day. Monday we had a sort out day and got rid of some old clothes and things out of the attic. Tuesday we sorted everything out to get ready for painting the kitchen, laundry, den and downstairs bathroom. It sounds a lot but all the rooms are connected and this is the ceiling which we had replastered. So far we have done the first bit of the kitchen, the laundry and downstairs bathroom which leaves the second bit of the kitchen and the den to do!

Little Man looks like he has been with his Daddy to work!!! He hasn’t this was just what his babygrow looked like after Daddy came home from work and was given Little Man to look after whilst Mummy sorted the Girls out!!!

Daddy’s home, better behave now!

When you are having dinner and there is an interloper wanting attention!

Honey got more attention than she wanted the other day!!! This is the state of both Honey and Coco after they have been out after all the rain we have had! Nowhere is dry at the moment and does not look like it is going to dry out anytime soon. Needless to say Honey had to have a bath and then the bathroom had to be cleaned afterwards!

Miss Floof has had a busy old time. She does not like it when our home is upside down and I don’t know about you but whenever you are doing a job the whole house seems to be upside down! Well our home does! At the moment the kitchen things are in the dining room, the laundry things are in the sitting room and we are eating in the den at the moment.

Mummy I hope our home goes back to normal soon!

This is Coco’s Mummy, Luna, and her Sister Binx. This was sent after all the puppies reached the big age of two year’s old!!! I really think Binx, on the left, and Coco look so alike!!!!!

Once DH and I have finished painting the kitchen we have our Bathroom, which was renovated at the end of last year, to paint. Fortunately it is only one small wall and the ceiling to do with the specialist bathroom paint. At some point during the year our bedroom needs painting, Eldest’s room needs doing, the landing and staircase need doing and finally our dining room.

Our garden is also in desperate need of a lot of love and attention and I am really hoping that the weather gets better soon and we can get some jobs done. It has been raining a lot again and this happened quite a few years ago when we did not get Spring or Summer really it just rained all the time and I really hope that it is not going to be like that this year!!! Normally I can cope with Winter and it being cold and wet but this year it has got me down. April has begun with the usual April showers. I love all the months as they each have something different to offer but I can honestly say I hate April!

DH has another swimming competition on Sunday and then the Saturday after and work next week and the week after a business exhibition at the NEC for the whole week so another busy two weeks. I am hoping to get the Spring Cleaning done whilst DH is at the exhibition.

I will let you know how things go with the painting and cleaning. I am also trying to declutter as I go so two jobs in one. I have seen quite a few Instagram reels on cleaning and decluttering and feel inspired to get organised!

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful Easter and thank you for sticking with me whilst life has been going a million miles a minute at the moment!!! I could do with an extra two days in each week but we are getting there.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xxxx