This and That Thursday

Hello!

So what has everyone been up to outside of reading good books?

I will be honest and say work has been taking up a lot of my time but I have managed to do some other things as well.

Duolingo

My husband and myself have started learning Greek again. It has been so long since I last attempted it that I have forgotten everything so I have started from scratch. We are using Duolingo at the moment but I would like some other resources to help so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Walking

We are really making an effort with our walking again. We have been doing the Lord of the Rings virtual challenges on the Conqueror Challenges and we have now completed 4 medals and are on the last one. However, the last medal is 282 miles which is going to take us a while but we will keep plodding along. If anybody would like to try the Conqueror challenges this code will give you 10% off. The walking has also meant some lovely views as well.

Etsy

I have been really busy with my Etsy recently which is wonderful but it has meant I have needed to upgrade my Cricut from a Joy to a Maker 3. This has meant spending some time getting used to a new machine and adapting my designs for the new machine. It has been so nice to make several things at once instead of one thing at a time. If you want to visit my Etsy shop here is the link.

Happy Reading

Etsy

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This and That Thursday

Hello!

I thought it was high time for a post about my escapades outside of reading. The Easter school holidays was rather busy for me as I took some time off teaching and went on some adventures.

Bath

We usually go to Bath at least once a year, usually more but we have never gone at this time of year so we thought we would see what it was like. It was busier than we are used to but it was still a fab little break. It also involved quite a bit of book buying.

It wasn’t all book buying though. We also had a lovely afternoon tea at the Pump Rooms, we visited the Ladybird exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery and we went to Dyrham Park just outside of Bath. We also did lots of walking and eating out.

Cambridge

I also visited Cambridge for the first time. I met up with my best friends and we had a good little explore. The weather was terrible so we had to do a lot of ducking out of the rain but we did manage some book shopping and we visited a very interesting museum. We also had great fun spotting all the giraffes!

Croft Castle and the Ironbridge Museum of the Gorge

We have also been doing some visiting closer to home. A couple of weeks ago we visited one of our favourites which is Croft Castle and today we visited a new place which was the Ironbride Museum of the Gorge. The Museum of the Gorge has only just recently reopened which is why we have never visited as we like to visit Ironbride. I also did a tiny bit of book shopping!

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

This and That Thursday

Hello!

Welcome to my first This and That Thursday of 2024.

I will be honest I have been rather hectic with work so have had less adventure time. I am now teaching at three different schools as well as teaching from home and doing playing work but I can’t complain as it helps me do the things I love, oh and pay the bills.

Walking and Pokemon Go

During 2023 my walking really took a hit so my husband and I have decided to really make an effort and get back into our walking again. This has also meant I am playing more Pokemon Go. I am in a bit of a competition with my sister-in-law with Pokemon Go but sadly she has really pulled ahead due to my lack of movement and playing. However, I am determined to catch up again! If anybody would like to add me as a friend my friend code is 6008 1727 2520.

National Trust

We have managed a few of National Trust properties so far this year. We went to one of my favourites in the New Year to see their Christmas displays before they took it all down. Berrington Hall does one of my favourite Christmas displays and they never disappoint. We have also been to Hanbury Hall which we haven’t been to for many years. I had forgotten just what a beautiful property it was and what beautiful gardens it has. This week we went to Benthall Hall which also included a lovely walk and a trip into Much Wenlock for lunch.

Etsy

I am still running my little Etsy business and I am absolutely loving it. The TBR Tickets are proving very popular and keeping me busy. I just love creating new bookmarks and coming up with new products for my fellow book lovers.

So there are a few things I have been up to. I am really hoping for more walks and more adventures soon, I just wish it would stop raining!

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

The Weekly Brief

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. My weekend has been rather busy with work so I haven’t managed much reading but I have an unexpected free day tomorrow so I’m hoping for some reading time then.

Blog Posts

Currently Reading

I started these two books yesterday and so far I am really enjoying them. I have read a lot of Angela Carter over the years so it is nice to get back reading her work and read something I haven’t read before.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I thought it was time for a non bookish post.

Holiday

As soon as I finished school we went on holiday to Kos for a week and I absolutely loved it. We spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool or the sea but we also went to see some of the sights and spent a day on the island of Nisyros. You can’t beat going to visit a volcano on a really hot day! It was so nice to get away and just relax for a week. Coming back to cold England was a bit of a shock though.

Harvington Hall History Festival

This week we also went to one of the talks that was happening as part of Harvington Hall’s History Festival. The talk we had booked for was Alison Weir giving her talk on The Six Tudor Queens. I have never listened to a talk by Weir before but absolutely love her books both factual and historical fiction. She did not disappoint. Weir’s talk was fantastic and she is a very good speaker. She also did a book signing at the end which I was very happy about as I had taken her latest book to get signed. I was one very hyper Book Dragon when this happened.

Etsy

This week I have been busy with my Etsy. I have made some new Bee and Flower bookmarks and have started putting some Christmas items on my Etsy. I know it seems crazily early but Christmas is already appearing in the shops!

I have also been doing some usual chores as well. We are hoping to do some more adventures during the summer holidays but for now I have a lot of washing to catch up with!

Happy Adventuring!

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

I thought it was time for a non bookish update. Although some of my adventures are book related in a way.

Warner Bros Studio Tour

I went with my husband and besties to the Harry Potter tour during the half term and this was the first time we also had the afternoon tea which was very yummy and the service was excellent. As usual the tour was brilliant and I highly recommend the afternoon tea if you haven’t had it before.

Cosford Museum

I love visiting Cosford and my husband and myself go at least once per year. Sadly, one of my favourite planes had moved so I didn’t get to see it but I managed to see some of my other favourite planes and bought two books and a cuddly penguin.

Learning Greek

I have recently joined Duolingo and I have started learning Greek. I am really enjoying it so far and I am aiming to do at least 20 minutes a day of studying.

I have been quite busy work wise with teaching and playing for weddings so I am trying to make the most of my free time at the moment. Hopefully more adventures will be happening soon.

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I thought it was a good time to do a non bookish update.

Now I am back at work we are trying to make the most of my days off which is nice because we are planning little adventures to go on.

Walking

We are still trying to go on regular walks and I have been really enjoying all the beautiful blossom which is about. We also spotted a fantastic coronation themed postbox. We are also still working on our Conqueror medals.

National Trust and English Heritage Properties

We have been visiting lots of National Trust and English Heritage properties recently and making use of our memberships. They are all properties we have been to before but it is always nice visiting our favourites. You can’t beat going for a nice visit, lunch and a walk and possibly an ice cream if the weather is nice.

Afternoon Tea and eating out

My best friend bought me an afternoon tea voucher for my birthday and we finally used it recently. The afternoon tea was really scrummy and it was at a lovely venue. We have also been going out for the occasional evening meal which has been lovely. We discovered a wonderful local Tapas restaurant which we will be definitely visiting again and we have visited one of our favourite restaurants which does the best chicken lasagne ever.

Hopefully our little adventures will continue as it makes such a difference to get out and about on our days off.

Etsy

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I thought it was time for a non bookish update.

Walking

This week I have been on half term so I haven’t had school. This has meant more free time and I have made the most of it by going on some lovely walks. I am really enjoying the start of the lighter evenings and I am looking forward to going on some evening walks once I am back at school. My husband and myself are also taking part in the Conqueror Lord of the Rings Challenges and we are now half way through earning our second medal, fingers crossed we get to the end soon.

Yummy Treats

We have managed to go out for some treats recently. Last week we went out for a lovely meal where I tried my first ever Baked Alaska. It is so nice to go out for the odd treat. I also cooked a roast on Sunday which I rarely get to do because we generally don’t have enough time on a Sunday due to work commitments. I will be honest the Yorkshire puddings are the best ones I have ever made, sadly they caught slightly on the one side but they were huge!

Card Making

I spent a lovely afternoon yesterday making some Easter cards. I am really enjoying my bits of crafting at the moment and have loads of ideas. I just need to find more time to work on my ideas!

So there are a few of my non bookish activities. We are hoping to go out for an adventure tomorrow but we haven’t decided what yet.

Happy Reading!

Etsy

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I have been busy working and getting ready for Christmas but I have also managed some fun adventures as well.

Wightwick Manor

We went back to one of our favourite National Trust places to see their Christmas displays this year. I really enjoyed the theme of A Christmas Carol and thought it was beautifully done. I always find Wightwick so quirky and pretty but with the decorations this year as well it really was magical.

Christmas Stall

I have recently done my first Christmas stall with my new business Lyra’s Pawsome Books. I really enjoyed the day and sold some items as well which was an added bonus. I will be definitely doing more stalls in 2023.

Bath Christmas Market

Last week we stayed in Bath for a few days and did loads of Christmas shopping at the Christmas Market. It was really nice to get away for a few days before it gets really busy work wise over Christmas.

Frankenstein Museum

There were parts of this which I found interesting but I did not like the weird smells that also came with the displays. It was quite creepy in places but it was funny to see just how much the monster has been used in film, TV and advertising over the years.

On the run up to Christmas we have some more Christmas adventures planned but the main thing we will be doing is prepping and playing for Christmas jobs. I am hoping to get some reading done on the run up to Christmas and also some more products for my Etsy.

Happy Reading

Etsy

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I thought it was time for a check in of my non-bookish activities. A lot of my time is currently taken up with work and because the weather has been so horrid I haven’t managed much walking but we have been trying to make the most of our days off together.

Statesman Train and Whitby Abbey

We recently went on a Statesman Train to Whitby and back with my husbands family. The food was absolutely incredible and I managed quite a bit of reading on the train. It would have been nice to have had a bit more time in Whitby but we managed to see the Abbey which is somewhere I have always wanted to visit.

Christmas Shopping

I love Christmas and I love buying Christmas decorations so we have been to a couple of places to buy some new decorations. These include lights for the outside and inside, I also managed to get a few Christmas presents as well. I have yet to find a new singing toy but I have managed to find a light up Father Christmas. I buy a new Christmas singing toy every year. I’m hoping to get some more decorations when we visit the Bath Christmas Market in December.

Christmas Card Making

I have recently got into Christmas card making and I am really enjoying it and finding it a nice relief from work. In fact I am finding it a little bit addictive. Due to the sheer amount of cards I have been making and I am now putting them on my Etsy site as well just in case I get swamped with Christmas cards. I am going to have a go at making some birthday cards as well. If you would like to check out my Etsy site the link is below.

Etsy

Walking

We are trying to go on walks when we have time and the weather isn’t to horrid or it is too dark. We have been having a lot of rain recently which has been hampering our walking but we are still trying. On Tuesday we went for a lovely walk with beautiful sunshine and explored our local nature reserve.

So there are some of my latest adventures and endeavours. We have quite a few things planned for the run up to Christmas so I will keep you all posted.

Happy Reading