Me, with Elio the Alpaca at Barnacre Alpaca's 

As I sit here, just 10 days away from hitting the big 4-9, I can't help but think about all the things I want to tick off before I reach the milestone of 50. So, I've made a list of 50 things I want to achieve. The thing is, you'll see from the list that there's quite a lot of travel and also I'd have to achieve something pretty much every week for the next year so instead I'm giving myself until the dawn of my 51st birthday. So that's 2 years and 10 days' time. Some of these things are big, and some are small, but they're all things that I'm excited to make happen.

1. Play the Timpani - I've always been fascinated by the timpani and I want to learn how to bash those drums like a pro.

2. See Derren Brown live - I've been a fan of Derren Brown for years and I want to see one of his mind-blowing shows live.

3. Learn the art of mixology - I love a good cocktail and I want to learn how to shake and stir like a pro.

4. Make a concerted effort to find a boyfriend - I've been single for a while now and I'm ready to find that special someone.

5. Climb a mountain - I've always wanted to climb a mountain and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

6. Make sushi - I love sushi and I want to learn how to roll my own.

7. Sing for my friends - I've always been a bit shy when it comes to singing, but I want to belt out some tunes for my friends and see their reactions.

8. Go on a puffin expedition - I've always wanted to see puffins in the wild and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

9. Have crumble from Humble Crumble - I've heard so much about Humble Crumble's crumble and I want to try it for myself. I follow them on Instagram and it looks insane.

10. Astrophotography - I've always been fascinated by the stars and I want to try my hand at capturing them in all their glory.

11. See the northern lights - I've always wanted to see the northern lights and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

12. Hot air balloon - I've always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

13. See 10 musicals live - I love musicals and I want to see at least 10 of them live before I'm 50.

14. Go to a music festival - I want to experience the energy of a music festival and make some great memories, I've been twice to the Hardwick festival but only for a few hours, I'd like to do one where it's for all weekend.

15. Visit Disney - I've always wanted to visit Disney and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

16. magic mushrooms - I want to try magic mushrooms and see what kind of experience they provide, I did some crazy things in my twenties (as you should) but this would be more of a spiritual life-affirming experience.

17. Tasting menu somewhere - I want to try a tasting menu somewhere and see what kind of flavours I can experience.

18. Organise a karaoke musicals party - I want to organise a karaoke musicals party and see how well it goes.

19. Hold my own film festival (80’s themed) - I want to hold my own film festival and make it 80's themed.

20. Go on an exciting holiday - I want to go on an exciting holiday and make some great memories, I'm not entirely sure where yet but I've never been on a long-haul flight so I guess that would be a part of it.

21. Complete NC500 - I've always wanted to complete the NC500 and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

22. Revisit the isle of Skye - I've been to the Isle of Skye before and I want to revisit it before I'm 50.

23. Go island hopping - I want to explore some of the beautiful islands around the UK and make some great memories.

24. Finish decorating my home - I've been working on decorating my home for a while now and I want to finally finish it before I'm 50.

25. Throw a Moulin rouge-themed party - I want to throw a Moulin rouge-themed party and see how well it goes.

26. Go to the Moulin Rouge - I've always wanted to visit the Moulin Rouge and I want to make it happen before I'm 50.

27. Have a spa day - I want to have a spa day and relax and unwind, I've never had a spa day!

28. Go in a hot tub - I want to experience the luxury of going in a hot tub, again, I've never been in a hot tub that I can remember.

29. Throw a dinner party with all 3 courses - I want to throw a dinner party and serve all 3 courses.

30. Watch the sunrise - I want to wake up early and watch the sunrise.

31. Watch the sunset - I want to stay up late and watch the sunset.

32. Reach 100k followers on TikTok - I want to reach 100k followers on TikTok.

33. Visit TikTok HQ - I want to visit the TikTok HQ, I've been to Facebook so TikTok seems like the next destination.

34. Take Abigail and Looby away for a girl's weekend that doesn’t end in disaster (definitely not to York) - I want to take Abigail and Looby away for a girl's weekend and make sure it doesn't end in disaster.

35. Explore more of Poland - I want to explore more of Poland and see what it has to offer.

36. Go to a big Christmas market - I want to go to a big Christmas market and experience the festive atmosphere.

37. Visit London at Christmas - I want to visit London at Christmas and see the city all lit up.

38. Go on at least 15 big walks/hikes - I want to go on at least 15 big walks or hikes.

39. Go out for a bougie afternoon tea - I want to go out for a bougie afternoon tea and experience luxury.

40. Have champagne at the top of Hadrian’s Tower - I want to have champagne at the top of Hadrian's Tower and see the views.

41. See Deacon Blue live - I want to see Deacon Blue live and sing along to my favourite songs.

42. Visit Greece - I want to visit Greece and experience the culture.

43. Visit Switzerland/Austria and sing “The Sound of Music” whilst gambolling down a hill - I want to visit Switzerland or Austria and sing "The Sound of Music" whilst gambolling down a hill.

44. Cuddle a lamb - I want to cuddle a lamb, it's self-explanatory, cuddling lambs shouldn't just be for children. I have cuddled a sheep before but never a lamb.

45. Have a wild night out and survive! - I want to have a wild night out and survive.

46. Go speed dating - I want to go speed dating and see if I can find someone special.

47. Go in a cable car - I want to go in a cable car and see the views. I blooming love a cable car ride.

48. Revisit Wales - I want to revisit Wales and explore more of the parts I've not been to.

49. Holiday in the Highlands - I want to holiday in the Highlands and experience the natural beauty of Scotland, it won't be the first time I've holidayed there but it's my favourite place and deserves to be revisited.

50. Visit the island of Shetland, I've wanted to go to Shetland ever since I went to John O'Groats and realised there was more of the UK another 253 miles off the coast of Scotland. If you'd like to follow along to see if I achieve my goals, I'll be filming as many of the experiences as I can for my TikTok channel so why not come and follow along to see how many things I can achieve before the bells ring to bring in my 51st birthday.

5 Fun things to do in Amsterdam

Ready for a city break that has something for everyone? Look no further than Amsterdam! This stunning city is full of culture, history, and so many things to see and do. And with the Go Amsterdam pass, you can save money on top attractions and make the most of your trip. Here are five fun things to do in Amsterdam with the Go Amsterdam pass:

1. Take in the stunning canal system on a leisurely boat ride. The waterways of Amsterdam were originally built in the 17th century to transport goods and people around the city, but today they're the perfect setting for a relaxing boat ride. There are plenty of companies offering canal cruises, so you can sit back, relax, and take in the sights and sounds of Amsterdam. Keep an eye out for the iconic houseboats – they're a common sight along the canals and make for some great photo opportunities.

2. Visit world-renowned museums like the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. If you're in the mood for a bit of culture, Amsterdam has no shortage of museums to visit. The Rijksmuseum is a must-see for art lovers, with a collection that includes works by Rembrandt and Vermeer. The Van Gogh Museum is another popular choice, featuring the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings in the world. And with the Go Amsterdam pass, you can save money on admission to both of these top attractions. If they're not your thing, you can visit the museum of cats and yes, they do have cats who live there.

3. Explore Amsterdam's vibrant nightlife. Whether you're looking for a wild night out or a more low-key evening, Amsterdam has something for everyone. The Red Light District is a well-known (and controversial) destination, but there are plenty of other areas of the city to explore if you're looking for a more laid-back evening. The Jordaan neighbourhood is a popular spot for bar-hopping, with a wide range of pubs and breweries to choose from. Or, you could check out one of Amsterdam's many live music venues or comedy clubs.

4. Bond with your kids through activities like biking and guided tours. Amsterdam is the perfect destination for some quality family bonding time. There are so many activities to do together, like exploring the city on foot or by bike (Amsterdam is super bike-friendly, by the way, with well-marked bike lanes and plenty of rental shops). Or, you could consider taking a guided tour to learn more about the city's history and culture. This is a great opportunity to spend some quality time together and make new memories.

5. Enjoy family-friendly activities like the NEMO Science Museum and Vondelpark. Amsterdam is also a very family-friendly destination, with plenty of kid-friendly activities to keep little ones entertained. The NEMO Science Museum and Artis Zoo are both popular choices, but if you're in the mood for something a bit more laid-back, you could take a stroll through the beautiful Vondelpark or have a picnic on the grass. And if the weather isn't cooperating, the Amsterdam Dungeon is a great indoor activity that's sure to be a hit with the whole family.

As you can see, Amsterdam has something for everyone. So why not start planning your holiday or mini-break today with the help of the Go Amsterdam pass? With so many things to see and do, you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for my next trip to Amsterdam, the only thing I have to think about is whether to go by ferry from North Shields with DFDS or whether to fly into Schipol with KLM, either way, I'm already excited.

Penguin "Sip and Read" Collection Box #Ad Gifted

The cosy season is officially here and there's no better activity on the long autumnal evening than curling up with a book and a cocktail and that's where the Penguin Sip and Read collection box comes in.

The Penguin sip and read box is a collaboration between themselves and Nio Cocktails who make letterbox cocktails, they're premade and only need ice and you're good to go.  Personally, I think a book and cocktail set is the perfect night at any time of the year.  

So you have your perfect cocktail, say a Negroni, a Margharita or a Cosmopolitan and all you need is the perfect book accompaniment and that's provided in the form of " The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes, a book about love, community and the power of reading.  I plan to read this on the Christmas break as it's the only time I ever get to really stop.

Life moves too fast, doesn't it? I know Ferris Bueller said that "life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it" and I feel that's one of the wisest statements an 80's movie could offer.  I am forever running around, trying to make a success of myself, juggling plates and smashing one or two of them along the way.  If anyone needs a brief pause from life it's me, unfortunately, that's just not possible.

We need more incentives to just stop for a while, I know we had enforced rest in 2020 but I also think that was one of the most stressful periods of enforced rest we have ever had and now because of everything that happened then, we can't afford to stop for a moment.

Maybe that's a sign we need these quiet moments more than ever, some time to stop, to read and to have our favourite cocktail, that definitely get's my vote!

18 Gifts your friends will love this Christmas, the ultimate Christmas Gift Guide

18 Gifts your friends will love this Christmas is the ultimate gift guide to all of the best Christmas presents this festive season.  With the kind contributions of the companies involved, I have curated your ultimate guide to everything that's good for gifts for all of your friends and family.

Consider this your shopping guide, your inspiration hub, your definitive article to all that is good in the Christmas shopping world for Xmas 2022.

1. An experience voucher from Red Letter Days.

Always a firm favourite of this blog, Red Letter Days provide thousands of experience gifts, from Afternoon teas, to spa days to mini breaks in London, they have something for everyone.  It's mindful gifting at its best, experiential gifts mean you not only get a present but you get the gift of time spent with friends and family doing things which make memories and memories last forever.

2.  Coorie luxury candle from Arran, Sense of Scotland

Coorie is Scottish for Snuggle, it's the Scottish version of Hygge and just like our Swedish friends, if you live in Scotland during winter you'll know how important it is to snuggle, make cosy and bring in the twinkle, this 30cl candle will comfort you through the darkest season and make a wonderful gift for anyone Scottish or who loves Scotland.

3.  A Coconut Flower Beer gift set from Neitiv

Neitiv describes coconut flower beer as a "Coconut Flower Beer is fine-tasting premium lager that is light, easy and refreshing to drink. It takes around eight weeks to produce. Secondary fermentation sees the addition of the magical Coconut Flower Drops, with their beneficial live cultures which make the drink so fascinating! The exotic, bold and unique Coconut Flower Beer that is brewed and bottled in the UK, is in effect a work of art from the recipe, to brewing, to branding, all the way to customer experience - it is not just a drink, it is an experience! There are several varieties so the best way to experience them is in one of their giftsets which also contains gorgeous candles and coasters.

4. Christmas spirit vodka from Black Cow Spirits

Black Cow describe their festive vodka as "All the ingredients of a Christmas pudding, macerated in our velvety smooth Black Cow vodka. The recipe for Christmas Spirit was created at our kitchen table using an assortment of winter fruits and spices.

Ingredients: Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka, brown sugar, cloves, currants, figs , raisins, orange zest, lemon zest, cinnamon and vanilla".  Now that sounds to me like a drink I'm going to be savouring over the Christmas holidays and I'm sure it's also going to go down fabulously at my yearly Christmas party.

5. Warner's Rhubarb Gin - a personal favourite of mine as I love rhubarb flavoured anything but I especially love Rhubarb gin and one of the most delicious ones on the market is Warner's, it's perfect stocking filler for the gin drinker in your life this Christmas 

6.Amazing skincare from Amare Vita  - Now I don't usually feature skincare in my gift guides but I can personally vouch for this stuff as it's amazing!!  I tried The Afterglow and a miracle happened, it made my skin feel wonderful and not only that, it also decreased some of the redness I get from having rosacea.  It made my skin glowy and wonderful and that really is some kind of clever alchemy.

7. A mobile phone that won't break the bank and is amazing for grandparents and teens from TCL Mobile, finally a good quality mobile phone where you can buy the handset without breaking the bank, this phone is 5G and perfect for the resident phone breaker in my family.  Looby is always breaking her handsets whilst riding or generally being 19 and this handset means not having to shell out several hundreds to own one, it's android based, has an impressive operating system for the cost and it looks good.

8. A selection of fruits in alcohol gifts from Opies - Opies are a firm favourite on this blog with their amazing jars of drink accompaniments, garnishes and fruits in alcohol.  We all know that every year all of the shops try their hands at peaches in brandy or cherries in kirsch, well, I'd much rather hop over to amazon or visit the supermarket, pay a very reasonable £9.95 and get myself a jar of Opies because that's what they do, it's their speciality, it's not just for Christmas!!

9 - Enlightened as Hell, how to be spiritual without being a D*ck - "Geared towards people who want to be enlightened (or simply live a better life) yet feel they can't do so because of the past and/or current state of the spiritual world, Enlightened as Hell: How to Be Spiritual and Not Be a Dick is the third book by clinical psychologist Dr Tony Ortega.

Dr Ortega brings three decades of experience as an actual mental health professional and consumer of an array of spiritual studies, as well as his sassy humour, to distil mental health and spiritual philosophies down to a street level. This is a book for millennials as much as it is for people 40+. Most likely to appeal more to women than men due to the nature of self-help readerships, Dr Ortega is also a champion of LGBTQIA+ rights, so this is an inclusive, accessible book for anyone open to learning more about spirituality and potential answers to the question, "Is this it?"

"In Enlightened As Hell, you get ALL the building blocks to lead an enlightened life without spending any more money!"

                    

10. Countdown to a Killing by Tom Vaughan Macaulay - Wen Li, an anxious young woman who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, is tormented by an incessant fear that she might have homicidal impulses. Wen falls for her self-absorbed colleague, Lomax Clipper, who is writing a whodunnit in his spare time. Lomax is pining for Italy and a Sicilian woman he met while on secondment, despite his recurring nightmare about someone being killed on a picturesque street in Palermo. Wen and Lomax both loathe their boss, Julian Ponsonby, who, unbeknown to them, is struggling… as is Fifi de Angelis, a vulnerable man who has been ostracised by his family.Packed with humour, heartache and suspense, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel interweaves the different perspectives of characters whose lives become increasingly entangled.

Told through interwoven correspondence, emails and WhatsApp messages, with the suspense around an impending murder steadily building, Countdown to a Killing is a deep exploration of multiple perspectives and points of view of individuals who are inextricably bound. The key themes of love, sexuality, ethnicity, mental health and acceptance are sensitively explored in a unique linear yet multi-layered and metafictional narrative. Packed with humour, heartache and a cast of expertly-crafted characters, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

11. Up, Up and Away - The Flight of Butterflies and Other Insects - Through the use of novel photographic techniques John Brackenbury gives us an ‘insect-eye view’ of the world of flying insects. By presenting them in the wider landscape they inhabit, rather than at the end of a close-up lens, the author reinforces the view that even relatively ‘simple’ animals like insects share the same world as human beings. This theme chimes with current thinking about conservation and the importance of diversity in the natural environment.

Mastery of the air is the supreme achievement of the evolution of insects and the images bring the viewer closer than ever to an experience of the ‘action’. The visual framework forms a convenient basis for discussing some of the ecological, behavioural and physiological aspects of flight in accessible non-technical language.

12. A selection of handmade gifts from Philomena's Boutique - Everyone loves handmade hand-printed gifts and at Philomena's Boutique, they really know their stuff, they make the most beautiful gifts from their studio in Newcastle upon Tyne and accent it with gifts for you and your home from the most amazing UK companies. Supporting small this Christmas ensures the future of small British businesses and I think we can all agree that's something we should get behind.

13. A Scent Stone aroma diffuser from Made by Coopers - I have tried aroma diffusers before and really never been impressed, this amazing scent stone diffuser is slightly more expensive but it packs a punch and delivers a wonderful aroma for up to 5 hours along with colour changing light.  It immediately switches off when the tank is dry and I've been using mine since the day I got it, I absolutely love it.

14 - Stranger Things Calendar from Danilo - I don't really think I need say much about this, it's a phenomenon!  Any Stranger Things fans would love this as their 2023 wall calendar, I know my own daughter was very excited about it and yeah, you can guess who's bedroom wall this is going to end up on.

15 - Teapigs Limited Edition Winter Blends Teas - Tea fans are guaranteed to love this, for an easy gift idea you'll need a coaster and mug coupled with a box of any of these winter blends (try the gluhwein, it's been tested by myself and 2 friends and we all agreed it's super tasty and reminds us of Christmas markets) then pop them in some eco- friendly hamper wrap, tie them with a ribbon and voila, a stylish gift that doesn't cost the earth for your tea loving friend.

16 - Lindt Gold Teddy Sleigh Advent Calendar - This might be more of a pre-christmas gift but who doesn't love a Lindt Advent Calendar? I am a self confessed Lindor addict, I don't think there's any chocolate that beats a Lindt Lindor and luckily for me (what do you means it's just for kids?) there are quite a few of those gorgeous chocolatey balls behind the doors of this advent calendar.

17 - Have Yourself a Cosy Little Christmas Mug and Sock Giftset from Philomena's Boutique - Christmas is the most cosy and twinkliest season of them all and there's nothing better than wearing your favourite fluffy socks whilst sipping hot chocolate from a big festive hug mug.  They may be a classic gift but a mug/sock giftset will always go down well with the right person.

18. Sinita Cupro Soft Shirt - Cobalt from Kasbah Clothing, I don't usually feature clothing in my gift guides but this shirt is made from cupro also termed the vegan silk and it's so, so soft and comfortable to wear.  Kasbah Clothing specialise in plus size clothing from sizes 14 - 30 with a timeless feel, I received this shirt in a size 16-18 and it's the perfect roomy fit for me, it's also the perfect colour so I'm sure I will be wearing this a lot over winter.


A special mention to all of the companies who have gotten involved in this year's Christmas gift guide, I could not do it without them!  I hope that in this article you have been inspired and delighted and that I've given you more than a few ideas for your Christmas gift list this year.  Send it to friends, share it with your special people and maybe, you'll receive the gifts you really want this Christmas.