Where has the week gone? One minute I’m enjoying a relaxed Bank Holiday weekend, the next I’m careering into the next weekend. 

Last weekend was very lovely indeed. On Saturday we took a trip to York to visit my good friend H for tea and home made cake, which, I didn’t get a photo of, being too busy eating it. It was a lovely way to spend a bit of time and Miss D got to play with more lego than she ever could have imagined existed with H’s son. I quite like that she’s taken to Lego. It seems like a mindful and creative pursuit for her, so I definitely think Lego is the way forward. 

Afterwards we paid a little visit to the Designer Outlet. I’ve been very good though and with the exception of a couple of handbags (my weakness), I’ve not bought any new clothes, shoes, scarves, hats etc since back in July when I signed up for the Slow Fashion Season. I didn’t break my good work by buying anything at the outlet, other than a couple of makeup bits that I needed. I’m making a really mindful effort to address my consumerism, and I have to say, I’m surprising myself with the progress that I’m making. I am trying to only buy things if I need them, and to get use from the tons of stuff that I already own. I don’t feel lacking at all, in fact, quite the opposite, I feel quite grateful for all that I have and, it’s taken a long time, but the realisation has finally kicked in that I might not need any more, not just yet anyway. 

Anyway, Sunday I took little Miss to church. We haven’t been for some time , so it was quite nice just to be in that environment again. Afterwards, we went to a beautiful nearby country pub call the Hayburn Wyke Inn for a delicious Sunday carvery, followed by sticky toffee pudding and custard. It’s a long time since I’ve been to that pub. So long in fact that I had forgotten it was even there, but given how incredibly busy it was, everyone else hadn’t forgotten. Luckily we had booked in advance, or I don’t think they would have fit us in. 

After lunch we went for a little walk. The full walk is beautiful and leads you down onto a rocky beach with a waterfall. Alas, when I left the house the weather did not look like it was fit for a walk and so I’d put inappropriate shoes on. I promised little Miss (who is very outdoorsy and active) that we would return another time and do the walk. 

The rest of Sunday was very chilled, spent relaxing and watching TV and restarting the hat that I have been knitting for the chap. I’ve learned my lesson and won’t be letting Little Miss help with it this time around. 

Monday, the weather was dreary, threatening rain but I’d planned to take Little Miss and Thelma out for a walk with the chap at Yorkshire Arboretum. As I sat in the traffic, behind tourist after tourist dragging their caravans home, I silently swore at myself for going out at all on a Bank Holiday Monday, but when we arrived at the Arboretum and everyone was so excited by the space, and the trees and the vistas, it was all forgotten.

We spent a couple of hours taking in the peaceful surroundings, playing hide and seek amongst the tress and trying to spot interesting leaves and feathers from birds, before paying a visit to the new cafe they have, where we enjoyed a rather delicious homemade leek and potato soup and a blueberry and lemon cake.

As we headed back towards our cars, the rain, which had been wanting to break through for most of the afternoon, finally made it through, but it was fine because after a trip across the road to the farm shop at Castle Howard for some nice little bits and bobs, it was time to make our way home. Needless to say, Little Miss and Thelma the pug slept all the way home, and it was a wonderfully peaceful journey.