Scottish Outlander

24/11/2019This post may contain affiliate links.

4 Things I’m Doing Now to Set Myself Up for a Successful 2020 and Beyond

24/11/2019This post may contain affiliate links.

Why wait for the New Year, next month or even Monday? If I’ve decided I’m going to do something surely the best time to start is now? So, that’s what I’ve been doing and I thought maybe if I shared the changes I’ve been making and the things I’m determined not to give up on despite the time of year it might inspire someone, somewhere to start something now too.

I started investing

I recently discovered the FIRE movement – Financial Independence Retire Early. It’s a big thing in the US and it’s slowly been making its way over to the UK. The principle is that you increase your savings rate and invest enough so that, over time, the returns are sufficient to live off enabling you to retire before the official retirement age. Although I’m not looking to retire early I really like the flexibility this approach gives. Having another stream of income in 10 or 20 years’ time could allow us to reduce our working hours and spend more time with family or take a pay cut to work a job for love rather than money. The most accessible way of doing this is through investing so I’ve chosen to invest in low cost index funds and open a stocks and shares ISA. At the moment our monthly contributions are relatively low as we’re saving for a new car but in time I hope we’ll be able to increase this and set ourselves up for a more adaptable future.

I stopped drinking

Alcohol is a drug and drugs don’t lend themselves well to productivity. Although I was only (usually) drinking on Friday and Saturday nights the effects were much more far reaching. My Saturday morning workout sessions were less effective and the days after big events were often a write off. I’ve been toying with sobriety throughout 2019 and completed 40 days without alcohol at the start of the year then 66 days from the end of the summer. They say it takes 66 days to break a habit and you know what? I think “they” might be right. After those 66 days I had a blow out for my husband’s birthday which left me feeling hung-over for two days and I began drinking my regular couple of bottles of wine per week again, slipping right back into old habits. This time though I decided enough was enough and it just wasn’t worth it. I’d seen the benefits and I knew they weren’t outweighed by the “positives” of lowered inhibitions and a fuzzy feeling inside. So here I am at 6.30am on a Sunday morning feeling fresh as a daisy and finally finding the time I’ve been looking for to do something for myself and revive my blog.

I’m losing weight

I don’t want to wait till January when I’ve piled on the pounds and feel utterly miserable to focus on weight loss. I’ve dropped over a stone so far but a recent care free holiday means I need to get back on track. I don’t want to be derailed by the festive season so I think it’s more important than ever to get back to the key principles that have helped me get this far. Quitting alcohol should help me stay on track as my alcohol free alternatives contain a fraction of the calories and I won’t be as tempted to reach for salty snacks. I’m a member of Team RH (you might have seen Richie’s sweary, no-bullshit videos on Facebook) who have taught me so much about nutrition and why it’s important to try to hit my protein and fibre goals so I’ll be renewing my membership when it comes to an end. The Team RH app links to MyFitnessPal where I track my calories and provides me with calorie, protein, fibre, water, step and exercise goals which are completely achievable unlike those MyFitnessPal will set if you let it. If you’re interested in joining let me know and I’ll send you a discount code.

I’m minimising my media consumption

I was subscribed to so many email newsletters, podcasts, YouTube and social channels that it was overwhelming. I lived in fear of missing out on that key snippet of information that would make all the difference to my life and career but I was consuming so much information that it was hard to find the time to take action on any of it. The solution to this problem may seem pretty obvious but in practice it hasn’t been as easy as you might think. FOMO is real and whittling down to a few choice experts per channel has taken a lot of time but I think I’m nearly there. For once my inbox reads 0 unread emails and, on Instagram, I’ve actually seen the words “You’re all caught up.”

27/12/2016This post may contain affiliate links.

Rules, the Oldest Restaurant in London

27/12/2016This post may contain affiliate links.

When one of my best friends and her Mum visited the UK recently, I travelled down to the capital to spend a few days with them. While I was there they treated me to lunch at one of London’s Oldest Restaurants, Rules. Established in 1798, Rules restaurant serves classic British food in traditional Edwardian surroundings.

You might recognise the interior from appearances in Downton Abbey and the James Bond film Spectre.

The walls play host to hundreds of drawings, paintings and cartoons which provide an insight into the history of the restaurant and those who have dined there. Over the centuries Rules has been frequented by some of the biggest names in literature and the arts from Charles Dickens to Laurence Olivier.

Upstairs is the cocktail bar with dark wood walls and plush red seating. Known in certain circles as one of London’s best kept secrets it’s a beautiful place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city with a world class cocktail.

Rules is famed for its game but since I’m a big fan of seafood I decided to start with Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs. The smoked salmon was delicious and the eggs were light and fluffy, cooked to perfection.

For my main course I opted for the Cod, Mussel & Prawn Curry with cauliflower, coriander & pilau rice. Visually stunning this curry was full of flavour and tasted as good as it looked.

To finish we shared the Plum, Blackberry & Apple Crumble with vanilla custard. The crumble was beautifully presented and much lighter than I expected.

Overall the food was excellent, as you would expect from a restaurant commanding a higher price point, but it’s the service and surroundings that make a visit to Rules a truly special experience. Thank you so much Lauren and Gina.

Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs, £14.95
Cod, Mussel & Prawn Curry with cauliflower, coriander & pilau rice, £24.95
Plum, Blackberry & Apple Crumble with vanilla custard, £7.95

Rules can be found at 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, WC2E 7LB and you can make a reservation on their website.

19/10/2016This post may contain affiliate links.

Culzean Castle and Country Park, Ayrshire, Scotland

19/10/2016This post may contain affiliate links.

I have lots of fond memories of visiting Culzean Castle and Country Park as a child and I was keen to share them with John. I got my chance on a beautiful warm summer’s day, perfect for exploring the extensive estate.

Since I knew where I was going we decided to park at the swan pond at the bottom of the park and work our way up towards the visitor centre at the very top. The pond is home to ducks, swans and a wide variety of other birds and is often covered in lily pads. It’s also right next to a huge adventure playground called Adventure Cove that was making me very envious of the children allowed to play on it!

Circling the pond only takes around 20 minutes and there is plenty of wildlife to enjoy.

The park boasts coastal views and on a good day you’ll be able to see Arran, Alisa Craig, Kintyre and on a great day you might even see Northern Ireland.

The park even has its own resident heard of deer!

Perched on the cliffs by the sea the 18th-century castle is absolutely stunning. There are guided tours of the castle at 11.00am and 2.30pm daily and family tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.30am and 2.00pm. I remember them well, they used to hide a Lego man in every room for children to find which kept my brother and I busy as we were shown around the lavish rooms.

This time we had our puppy Maisie with us so weren’t able to explore inside any of the buildings but it really was the park and scenery we were most interested in.

Culzean Castle and Country Park is owned by The National Trust so is free for members. If you’re a non-member you can choose to visit the castle and the park for £15.50 per adult or simply visit the park for £10.00 per adult. Although it is on the pricey side there is enough to keep you busy all day, especially if you’re visiting with children (they won’t want to leave that playground in a hurry!).

03/08/2016This post may contain affiliate links.

Caer Beris Manor, Builth Wells, Wales

03/08/2016This post may contain affiliate links.

We had planned to camp the night before we collected our little Cairn Terrier puppy but we decided the stress of bringing our new arrival home from Wales would be enough without adding putting up our new tent into the mix. Instead we treated ourselves to a stay at the beautiful Caer Beris Manor in Builth Wells.

The historic manor house has 23 bedrooms which are almost as impressive as the stunning exterior.

We booked a Heritage Double Room and were given The Harcourt-Wood Room (Room 18) which features a large, authentic leaded window and boasts views out over the courtyard.

The room was beautifully decorated and had everything from a flat screen TV to fluffy towels to use in the modern bathroom.

The courtyard makes it easy to see why the Manor is now a listed building after being restored by its current owners.

Set in 27 acres of parkland and with The River Irfon winding through its grounds the Manor’s gardens are perfect for an evening stroll.

It even has its own suspension bridge with a sign that warns only one person should use it at a time, making it a little bit nerve wracking!

The next morning we headed to breakfast early so we had plenty of time for another walk before we checked out.

I decided on a cheese omelette while John went for the traditional full Welsh Breakfast with a pork and leek sausage, bacon, fried egg, tomato, mushroom, black pudding and wedges, all of which he said was delicious!

We paid £74.00 for bed and breakfast which we felt was very reasonable especially considering the sheer beauty of the surroundings and the attentiveness of the staff who were all curious about our journey to collect our new puppy. They were quick to point out Caer Beris Manor is a pet friendly hotel so maybe one day we’ll head back to let Maisie explore the extensive grounds and swim in the river!