Pit and Peak

Well this has been my first week of being a house wife in Singapore.  Last week doesn't count as it was so much like a holiday.  Mark only had to go into work a couple of times and we were mostly trying to get our heads around actually moving here.

Pit

• Telling everyone who I am.  Constantly.  I know its the only way to make friends, but I feel that I should be very exciting or saying something wonderful, instead it’s the same old thing.  Quit job to come over here, no I can’t drive, no we don’t have kids.  I might start making up a new identity to get people ecstatic at the thought of meeting me, someone who has been in space (maybe I should make up a smaller lie to start with.)

Peak

• Going to a very fancy coffee morning!
• Being welcomed into this new community.  We've had a couple of visitors and a card welcoming us to the area.  I've also been to my very first Pot Luck Dinner which was great fun.  The hostess really was everything you’d expect from a proper party planner.  She was also kind enough to show us around her beautiful home which was so pretty and homely.  I loved seeing what could be done with the blank canvas we've all been given.
• (More to do with welcoming and the kindness of relative strangers) Being offered trips to the supermarkets and being told about lots of new places to visit.  We were also loaned books and DVDs to keep us going until our shipment arrives.
• Still finding our way around but I have been to a local shop by myself as it is in walking distance.
• Going out on the bus by myself to a mall-totally terrifying, but very proud of myself…it really was like getting a bus anywhere else….don’t really know why I got myself so worked up and scared of it!

Pot Luck Dinner

Some of the wives here threw a 'pot luck dinner' yesterday in honour of Sarah and I arriving in Medway Park.  It was really kind, and also my very first buffet like this.  I'd found the name on pinterest before, but never really quite got it.  I'd called it and American Buffet before, but I don't know if maybe we actually have lots of these in Scotland and I'd just never been to one.

As Sarah and I don't have our shipment yet we were excluded from having to bring anything although we both brought something along as a token as we thought it might just be a little bit rude if we wondered into someones house and started eating all of their nice things!

I'd went to the shops earlier to pick up some biscuits and muffins then went round to Sarah's house to meet up with her before we went round to the house of Amanda who was hosting the evening.  Sarah had borrowed her helpers casserole dish to make a potato gratin so I was feeling very underwhelmed by my tins of biscuits at this point.  

Amanda was the perfect hostess and welcomed us right into her home.  She had made so much already and put so much effort into everything that she made for dinner.  There were only a couple of people there before us so we got chatting and felt right at ease before the majority of people turned up.  

Amanda also graciously gave us a tour of her house which made me feel like these houses can eventually be given a homely feel.  Right now they seem to big and plain, but I know, as soon as our possessions start arriving in big boxes we will be able to create the same atmosphere too.  

I still feel a bit anxious before going to these things, but I'm sure in time that'll pass and I'll be able to go visiting without a major panic attack.  I had better be able to as Amanda has offered to take Sarah and I shopping and I need all the hints and tips I can get right now.

The night was really good, but I had to leave early as I had planned to phone my Mum in the UK at 10pm Singapore time so had to take a walk home in the dark - after an evening chatting about how all of the women were terrified of snakes and had seen them at some point in their time here.  Right about now would be a good time to say there are only 4 kinds of snakes I hate, big ones, small ones, living ones and dead ones.  Suffice to say I jogged home.

Helpful Blogs

When we found out that a move to Singapore was on the cards I immediately tried to find out everything I could about the place.  One of the ways I did this was through blogs.  I’d been really into blogs since about 2008, and so it was a natural step to want to find out about what people really thought about living here.

Singapore is full of loads of expats and therefore has a bunch of blogs.  There are so many people tying to communicate with their friends and family back in the place they originally moved from.  There are so many people grateful for the experience who want to document their good fortune. 

The blogs below are just the ones that I found most useful.  I don’t know how popular they really are, this is just the ones that I happened to like best, or find covered the topics that I most wanted to know about. 

Here is a list of blogs that I used when we found out we were moving:

Blogs not updating anymore

Blooming Expats

Angry Ang Mo

40 Little Toes

Brave or Just Crazy

Blogs still being updated

Our Big Expat Adventure

Expat Adventures in Singapore

Expat Bostonians

Expat Kiwis Singapore and Beyond

Living in Sin

Tales from the Lion City

Food Shopping

**I should warn you that this post is for people in the UK unless you want to tell me about some good value places you shop!**

When Mark said we were going to be moving one of the first things I found out was that Singapore is expensive.  Food would be expensive, housing would be expensive and cars are expensive.  Luckily Marks work has taken care of two of those things and in the grand scheme of things paying a little bit more for food shouldn’t really matter, however I didn’t want to just get ripped off.

When we first arrived we were so lost and well….a little bit hungry we headed to Market Place at Tanglin Mall.  It was easy to find as we could easily type Tanglin into Sat Nav and it is quite close to Marks work.  We knew it was probably the most expensive place to head to, but it seemed the easiest at the time.  Well, when we got there we did find it expensive, but knowing that we only needed a few essentials helped and it was nice having that little trip into the city.  Market Place has prices more in line with doing all of your regular grocery shops in Waitrose or M&S.  Actually a lot of the branding on tins was Waitrose, but a lot also seemed to be American as well.

Next time we needed shopping we went to Cold Storage at Centrepoint mall.  This is on Orchard Road so the very middle of the shopping district and it would mean us quite easily tapping into Sat Nav where we wished to go.  This grocery shop is all over the island and is quite popular as it does still have some branding that you’ll be used to from the UK.

Even Cold Storage was quite expensive for us as in the UK we really shopped around quite a bit.  I did keep reminding myself that although Singapore has a massive presence, it really is tiny and isn’t like Scotland and can hand over vast areas of land to farming.  “Of course it’s going to be expensive!” I reminded myself, “but think of everything you are getting in return.” 

OK-this is going a bit like Goldilocks now, but the third grocery shop we did was just right.  Finally we found a NTUC Fairprice which is excellent value for money and is much more comparable to the UK.  It doesn’t really have many brands but I’m more than happy to get what I need from there.  There happens to be one within walking distance from our neighbourhood and I’ve picked up a few things I would say were bargains there.  I got a pack full of 8 bulbs of garlic for $1.65, 5 carrots for 93 cents, 500g of spaghetti was $1.65 and quite a big shoulder of pork for only $3.16 (it was reduced from $7).  We are constantly snacking on grapes which are about $4.40 per kg which is the cheapest I’ve found whilst here.  Cheese seems quite expensive for really plain stuff so I got 250g for $7.15, but that’s without really looking about.  I only needed a bit of it for a pasta bake when I run out of ideas for tea one night! 

I also went along to Fairprice Finest when I needed to post some letters one day at Clementi Mall and found that the prices were relatively all right, for example I got 3 sweet potatoes for $2.32.  It’s a bit more Western and has more food similar to Cold Storage, but is still better value.  I did find myself paying $2.90 for a packet of beef gravy as I couldn’t find any at all.  Oh well, Mark said it was nice and it went with (a much reduced in price) packet of rump steak we bought the other day.

I like shopping around and trying to make more interesting meals than I would have done in the UK.  I am trying to look on  Pinterest for ideas so that we have a variety of different things to eat, and we were always warned that is you try to just eat Western food the prices would be astronomical.  I find that a little bit odd though, as I wouldn’t want haggis, neeps and tatties here anyway!

Coffee Morning

Sarah and I were invited to a coffee morning at Eden Hall on Tuesday along with all the other expat wives who are FCO spouses.  We had gotten our invitations a while ago when we were both working in our old jobs in the UK.  We knew that Eden Hall is the British High Commissioner's Residence in Singapore and I think we both must have googled it to see that it is where William and Kate visited during their tour.

Eden Hall

Beyond that we had no idea what to expect when there.  On Tuesday morning Sarah came to pick me up and we headed off both worrying if our outfits were nice enough.  Only having a couple of suitcases to keep us going until our shipment arrived really made us think about what to pack and what to leave, luckily we both had a couple of choices, as we both wanted to put in a bit of effort.

Source

After asking a couple of different people for directions we eventually found our way to Eden Hall, the armed guards were difficult to miss in the end.  We were the first ones there and parked up and wondered a little bit up the hill to the big front door where we were met by some people to take us in.  The High Commissioner's wife is so friendly that we easily chatted away until some other people arrived too.  We had some tea and scones (although I liked the look of the cake...just didn't want to seem too rude by having as many helpings of nice things as I would have done at home!) 

It was really nice being able to talk to some other expat wives and find out where everyone is living as almost everyone there lives in our area.  It will hopefully make it easier to meet new people, all I have to do is have a sneaky look out of the window every time I see someone pass the gate.

One thing that is really starting to get difficult is introducing myself to new people constantly, it really makes you long for those friends from the UK that have been in my life for ever.  There is nobody here that knows my favourite film, or food.  Nobody that I have any funny stories or catchphrases with.  No inside jokes.  Nothing that proves I could be funny or silly or anything before now.  Maybe a fresh start and a clean slate is good in some ways and that's just what I need to focus on.

Eden Hall

It seemed a bit unfair that afterwards once Sarah dropped me off I had to just get on with the chores and the boring things again.  I just don't think that coffee mornings at the parish church will ever be the same again.

Our first week in Singapore

Well, we have well and truly arrived! We were met at the airport by one of the British Embassy drivers, he took our luggage and ushered us to a waiting car. It was parked right outside the airport in a red "Diplomatic" space! It was so good to have someone look after us and our luggage, we just needed to get in and enjoy the chilled bottles of water that were placed in our seat trays! It took around 40 minutes to get from the airport to our new house. This was a house that we had only seen pictures from the outside, we didn't know anything about the inside of our house! We were met by Gasswan who is the head of a company called ISS, this company manages the house and all maintenance. He showed us around each room and believe me there are lots of these! We were shown how the air con works, how the gas detectors work, how all the keys work etc etc. our house is in one word "huge"! We have a large lounge which feeds into our ample dining room with a table to sit 8. This then leads into our kitchen which then leads into an outside area where the garage, laundry room, maids room, toilet, shower and den are all located. We then have two bathrooms up stairs for the three bedrooms! We have a terrace area outside off the master bedroom and a huge patio area downstairs. In short there are 4 toilets, 3 showers, 1 bath and heaps of rooms for the two of us! We are so lucky to have this house. Detached property with a garden in this area goes for around $30k to $40k per month! We are beginning to settle now, we have a car supplied to us and this has been great to get us around and explore the city and surrounding areas. Our little doggie Daisy joined us on Friday. There was a slight delay in getting her out but nothing too serious. She is settling in well and sniffing around getting used to her new surroundings. The biggest issue we have currently is the lack of Internet at home. We need to wait for our FIN (which means we actually live here) that then enables us to order our cable TV and Internet. I will provide a more detailed update in the next few days but really just wanted everyone to know that we are here, fit and well and enjoying things so far!

Pit and Peak

This has been our very first week in Singapore and it still feels like a holiday.  It’s unreal how odd it is that I keep asking Mark to take me somewhere so that I can do touristy things.  “Sheila!” he says (just that little bit crossly) “you have two years here!”  And then I remember this isn't an amazing once in a lifetime trip that I didn't expect to take, this is my new home. 

Pit

Worrying in case Daisy is desperately upset somewhere thinking we've abandoned her.  It is the most awful feeling to be away from her.

Peak

Seeing new things daily, looking at this amazing house and thinking this is actually where I live.  Investigating new areas and seeing new things all of the time, even when we’re just grocery shopping.

Pinterest Loves

Source

I should seriously go to a self help group as I am way too addicted to Pinterest.  I can waste an inordinate amount of time on there and normally its just me looking up westies and holiday decor.
However seeing as we don't have any cookbooks in the house I have been planning meals via the website.  So far I've made Parmesan Chicken, Parmesan Courgette Chips and healthy tacos.  I am already pinning stuff for Christmas either to make or bake, but we'll see if anything comes of it!
Mark really likes the courgette chips, although for some reason I'm having difficulty finding courgettes/zucchinis in Singapore.  I'm not sure what season they should grow in here or if that matter at all.  I need to get a bit more courageous and start looking at Asian recipes too.  I don't know any Asian food to cook, but I've already started buying in some ingredients as they just aren't things I would normally pick up.
I just know that as soon as I head on pinterest to find some recipes I will be lost to the world for an hour...oh well, all in the name of cooking up some nice dishes for my husband!

5 Things We Need For Our New House In Singapore......

I Found this article on one of the Singapore Blogger sites and thought I'd share it.

When I first read it I was very surprised to see that a 60" LCD 3D TV, Surround Sound and a top of the range coffee system were not listed!!! ( I tried to tell Sheila that they were the essentials!! )

5 Things you need for your new home 

1. Internet
2. Cleaning products & plunger
3. Iron & ironing board
4. Bug spray
5. Tools

These are rather obvious things to have but we do forget the obvious sometimes. Things like the internet are a necessity in this day and age. No doubt your cell phone can connect via 3G/4G to the web, but why work on a small screen when you can do so comfortably on your laptop/desktop?
An internet connection keeps you connected and enables you to do your work when you're at home. It also gives you access to entertainment. More importantly, a stable connection and a computer allow you to apply for whatever permits and licenses you need on account of your new home without having to go out. It saves hours of your time so ensure you've applied for internet service a week or two prior to moving. Alternatively, buy the portable internet thumb drive. Service providers like Starhub, M1 and Singtel have various options, some of which are constantly changing. Check out each provider and decide on the best option for you before taking the plunge.
Speaking of taking the plunge, how many of you have thought of buying a plunger for your home? Even if you've moved into a new building, a plunger and cleaning products are necessities. Cleaning products too are important. A new flat still requires thorough cleaning. You've got to scrub everything down, sweep up the dust, and clean the windows. Generally, you want to get the smell of cement and paint out of your house. Cleaning can take a whole day, depending on the size of your home.
As you're likely to apply leave to get your affairs in order, take that time to sort out your house so that on a base level, it functions well enough for you to feel confident to return to work.
This brings us to the next thing on the list. To go to work, you're going to need clothes. Your packed clothes will need ironing so an iron and an ironing board are essential items. Remember to pack them in unless you're ok with going to work in wrinkled clothes. You can hold off washing clothes until your washing machine arrives. When required, wash it the old fashioned way and hang your clothes out to dry.
A new house is also like a computer; it will have bugs. Although in this case, the bugs have many legs and will creep you out. The humid weather in Singapore is perfect for bug breeding and our homes are constantly attacked by ants, roaches and mosquitoes. Bug sprays are important. First thing you do before cleaning is fumigate the entire house; every nook and cranny must be sprayed. Make a habit of spraying your house every night before you sleep too. Also, close the windows, especially in the evenings to prevent bugs from flying in. Even if you live on the top floor, remember this; bugs have wings and can fly. Bugs can crawl in from anywhere too so have a tool box ready. If you need to tighten up doors, windows or even seal up gaps with putty. You'll be able to do this rather easily on your own. Other than that, if your light bulb blows, you can change it yourself. If you need to fix new furniture, you'll have screw drivers and a hammer. A tool box is the difference between you fixing and sorting things out in your house free and easy and paying someone else to do it.
In summary, all you really need to spend money on is an internet subscription. The other things, you're bound to have. They're not expensive to get either and are value for money as you'll use them constantly. It is tempting to go all out and deck your home in modern electronic goods but remember to keep it simple for the first week. Before you rush to get the cool things, concentrate on getting the necessary ones first.

Tour Lady

OK, so this is the grand tour of our new home!  This is the living room from the corner of the house.  There's just another sofa behind me and the window to the front garden.  Please excuse the mess....erm, there really isn't a good enough excuse, just that jet lag is evil!

Just turning around a wee bit so you can see the hallway slightly... 

all of our lovely leaving cards (and a bit of a view to the patio)... 

Looking out of the window to the front garden...ahem, excuse the camera flash

the dining room.....

going through to the kitchen.....

(which is a bit messy....please note the bottle of cleaning spray-at least I'm trying)

and back into the hallway at the front door

So you can already see we've been to Ikea!

Heading back out onto the patio...

Just need to rearrange this so we have more room for lounging...

although we do need to move this furniture...unless it comes in handy when we get a pool?

which will hopefully go right here (it'll be above ground so should be easier to drop anywhere)

but the garden is a good size so we could put it elsewhere if need be (once we move the goal posts)

I don't have the energy to walk about yet so I don't know how there were children running about here before us!

OK that's the tour over!

Our Stuff is Here

When we arrived our three suitcases that were shipped over were already in the house.  So once we'd pulled up, gotten the tour and signed for everything (after travelling for over two days) I started to unpack.  It was 11 pm Singapore time, but I started to get stuff in cupboards.

 Mark and I were still on that 'sleep deprivation high' so whilst he was downstairs looking at everything again I tipped out 5 suitcases onto the bed and started making order again.

I was pretty frightened incase Mark came up the stairs at that point and saw the mess I had made.  Especially as only one bed was made up for us and had bedding on it.

I started to find all of the t-shirts, then fold them and put them away, then I took all of the long sleeved shirts and put them in one wardrobe and the short sleeved ones in another.  I knew the t-shirts wouldn't need ironed, but I hung up all of the shirts even though they needed to have an iron put over them again before Mark headed into work. 

 I'm quite proud of the order I started to make, however half way through I got really sleepy.

 So tea was made and I just kept going, and going, and going.....

When I thought I could start to see the bed under everything I called Mark away from whatever he was doing so that he could marvel at my progress.

 Luckily It took him a little while to come upstairs..

 as every time I turned around there was more and more stuff...

 It was on the floors, the drawers, under the bed....how did things get kicked under the bed already?

 But slowly....

 very slowly....order came about.  I am such a pinterest addict that I found a 'new' way to fold t-shirts.  It works better if instead of piling them on top of each other to lay them out more like shops and lay them up instead of flat.  This made sense at 1.30 am so lets just see how long I keep on top of it.

 Finally all of the empty suitcases were put in the hall ready to be packed into one of the cupboards.

Pit and Peak

Yay, my first week as a housewife (busy-but not how you’d expect) and my last week in the UK for some time…

Pit

·         Every amazing thing that I do I know that I'm not going to do again for a long time.

Peak

·         Staying at the Pittodrie House Hotel which I love for a very long weekend.  Having a great long walk with Daisy and then an afternoon nap, sandwich and delicious supper on my first day of being a housewife.  Daisy and I went trekking for 4 hours all around the base of Bennachie and came back very muddy, exhausted but happy.  I can’t think of a better send off from Aberdeenshire.

·         Having the girls over for afternoon tea on Saturday and getting very unexpected leaving presents.

·         Spending a whole day with my Mum on Monday and then getting some Chinese food for tea.

·         Getting a big hug from the friendliest woman at my Church.

·         Seeing my brother on Tuesday and having a good old catch up and talking rubbish to each other for ages like in the old days.

·         Having the most delicious afternoon tea with my Grama at my favourite hotel in Aberdeen, The Marcliffe.

·         Having lunch with the girls from work on Wednesday and finally getting the last of the Christmas parcels to the appropriate people.

·         Unexpected visits from family….always very, very welcome.

Girly Chats

all taken by my good friend Fei

Something I want more than almost anything for our time in Singapore is to have just one good friend.  Today was my last meet up with some of the girls from work and it makes me a bit weepy to think this might be the last of my nonsensical girl chats for some time.  I think every female grows and learns so much from these chats, I don't know what I would do without them.

I'm so glad I was able to meet up as I'd had so much trouble with my phone beforehand that we nearly missed each other like ships in the night, it all worked out in the end and we managed to have a little catch up during their lunch break.

I'm going to miss everyone so much.  Oh well, more errands to do...

Three Days and Counting

Today I went shopping for the last of the Christmas presents, met my Brother, had afternoon tea with my Grama, made tea, tidied up for visitors, met friends and went down to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night by watching my Mum do a fire walk to raise money for the clients at her workplace....and breathe.

The last couple of days were always going to be busy and they really don't disappoint.  

I needed to get the last of the Christmas shopping done and wrapped up for dropping off for my Mum, Brother and Grama.  As they may just be reading this post I really can't say where I went and what I got, but let me tell you it was a little bit from all...over...town.  I'd set myself the goal of getting everything in one and a half hours, but seeing as I had to go and close an account and then deposit the money elsewhere in town the allotted time was almost used up just doing those tasks alone.  I managed to get everything I wanted to and didn't get very stressed as the main presents had been bought and all I needed to do was to get the last little things and stocking fillers for people.

Once I'd gotten everything I wanted to I rushed back to the apartment to wrap things up and them headed back into town to meet my Brother.  We grabbed a coffee and then headed to Church for my very last sermon there *sob*.  One of the very kind women there actually came up to me afterwards and gave me the biggest warmest hug which made me feel really quite emotional.

After that my Brother and I met my Grama who I was taking to The Marcliffe which is my very favourite place in Aberdeen.  Sadly it'll be closed by the time we get back so I will always remember the last time I was there!  Mark had taken me there two years ago for a Valentines weekend and it's the sort of place that spoils you as soon as you walk through the door.  Last time we were there we saw Alex Salmond the First Minister of Scotland, this time my Grama and I saw another Alex, Alex Ferguson. 

When my Grama and I got out of the taxi we went straight to the drawing room where we were seated and given our menus to pick the types of sandwiches and tea we would like.  We asked for a selection of sandwiches and went for breakfast tea and my Grama also got a hot chocolate as it really was quite cold outside.  I didn't mind whatever sandwiches we got, as my eyes were fixed on the scones and cakes....

Our taxi driver came back to pick us up a couple of hours (and many scones later) and I just about managed to roll in over.  Luckily I didn't have far to go in the taxi as I already knew I had to get organised for people coming over in the afternoon.  

It really feels like time is speeding up now that we are in the very final week before the move...

Our last Guy Fawkes for a little while

One of the great things about growing up in Scotland is that we celebrate Guy Fawkes night.  I'm excited about celebrating all the great things about Singapore, but this is one thing I will miss about the UK.

This is my last Bonfire Night for two years as I don't think the authorities in Singapore will be too pleased with me lighting a bonfire in the back garden and throwing potatoes into it!

My friends came over to our apartment so that they could come with me to see my Mum participate in the sponsored Fire Walk down at Aberdeen beach where the fire works display is held.  If we were staying in our old apartment we could have cartwheeled over to where my Mum had to go, but seeing as we had since moved we needed to leave over an hour before hand to ensure we were there in time.

Inspire

Mark was unable to go as he had invited a friend over, and because Mark had been working that meant that I needed to get the shopping in and make the supper.  Luckily we had found all of our 'lost' M&S vouchers so I was able to treat the boys!  Oh yeah, I mean it was all home-made.

I had invited some friends to come and see too so they came over once Mark was able to get on the phone and give better instruction's as to how to get to the apartment, apparently mine were none too clear.

The bus into town took forever which mean that I had to run from Broad Street all the way down the Boulevard to meet my Mum coming out of the pre-fire walk motivational talk (for a non-runner this is actually quite a bit to go!)

We all cheered and clapped so hard for my Mum when she did her walk.  It was actually a further distance than I thought it would be.  Although someone behind me in the crowd saw all of the volunteers and where they had to walk and casually stated they could do it.  When their friend told them to try and volunteer last minute they instantly said they didn't want to and they were going to do a parachute jump for charity instead (God forbid they do two things for charity, although I can't believe they would have done either.)

It was amazing and something I just don't think I would have the courage for.  My Mum wanted to make a get away after doing it and headed home whilst my friends and I stayed for a hot dog, some toffee and the fire works.  They lasted a surprisingly long time and made me really proud to be an Aberdonian.  

Good job it was such a clear night and great display as it will be my last Guy Fawkes night for a little while now.

Not the Same

Every Tuesday afternoon I would spend my lunch break going to Gilcomston Church in Aberdeen.  It was only a  little way up the main street from my workplace and it was a good way to also meet up with my Brother to introduced me to the church.  I always feel so alive after going there and everyone is so welcoming.  Normally my Brother would meet me at my work and we would take a leisurely walk up the road.  I used to always pick up the leaflets from the Church when I was at my old job and had a set time-table of lunch breaks, it seemed inevitable that I would start going to 'The Gilc'.  

One of the first jobs I need to do when we arrive in Singapore is find a new Church to go to.  Until then I will be able to listen to sermons on sermon audio.

My Mum

On Monday my Mum came over to our place at Mannofield to hang out and see where we lived.  This will be our last move and seeing as we are going at the end of this week we really are trying to squeeze as many visits in with family and friends as possible.
Mum came by bus mid afternoon so I was able to run some last minute errands.  We constantly run out of food with all this moving as it makes more sense at the time to get rid of what we have and do small shops instead of lugging around lots of tins and bottles.  I am also aiming (and have practically accomplished my task) to have every-ones Christmas presents bought, wrapped and handed out before we leave.  We may have a small family, but we want to ensure all of our friends have their presents too.
About a month ago I saw the most fantastic advent calender for my Mum while walking through Boots the Chemist on the way to get my inoculations.  This is nothing like the Christmas ones you get when you are little, this is the very much sought after Boots Beauty advent calender.  I was running late to get to my appointment when i first saw it so I had to find it on line.  Apparently there weren't too many left so I ordered it up and was able to pick it up on Monday.  I had to get some sun cream too and so was able to pick up everything at once.
When my Mum came out to visit I very proudly handed the box over (my Mum is a beauty guru and knows most products very well so I knew she would love it!).  Sure enough it was a big hit and good choice.
We had to get to an appointment so only spent a little time doing our own thing before we had to head to it.  When we were done my Mum suggested she order something from the Chinese takeaway down the street and Mark could meet us at Mums house.  
This move seems to have sneaked right up on us and I can't believe I'm now into the last week.  I'm only going to see my family a couple more times this year..

More tea?

I just do not get tired of this place!

I love the grand exterior 

'Our' window where we have tea 

the views out over Bennachie 

and the fact that you can take your dog into the drawing room, i mean Daisy is one of the family. 

More tea Daisy? 

I'm fine, just leave me with my paper! 

Just as we were sitting down to tea (lets just pretend it's healthy...ok?) we got a call from my Uncle saying that he was coming over to see us.  We ate up quickly (like I wouldn't eat this quickly anyway?!) and then headed down to see him sitting in the drawing room waiting for us.  My Aunt, Uncle and Cousin came along too and we sat chatting late into the night. 

I did really laugh at all the moaning I had been doing about all this moving.  It sort of came out all at once when I really saw my 'first world problems' and complained that my sundae looked more like a banana split.  I don't know where it came from, but right after I said it I instantly stopped, apologised and tried to be better (this probably only lasted a little while, but I thought I kept it going for ages)

Autumn in Aberdeenshire

I am taking full advantage of this being my last autumn in Aberdeenshire for quite a while.  Our plan has always been to use up our holidays whilst in Singapore on seeing places we'd never seen before, so although I love this corner of the world, I wont be visiting for a little while.  

Although I've moaned about moving about so much in such a short space of time, most of the places we've lived in have been wonderful.  It's quite odd that this place is the cheapest of them all and its the 4 Star hotel.  We're in quite a predicament living in Aberdeen where hotels, even the worst of the worst, are expensive and you have to normally go over thirty miles out of town to get a place that will accept pets.  

When we thought we'd have to move down to Exeter for a little while we found loads and loads of lovely, inexpensive places that would accept Daisy dog.  However, we are here and I am making the most of it!

I love my walks with Daisy around the grounds.  We've been walking around the perimeter of the gardens, and then down to the walled garden.  There are still lots of apples on the trees and I'm finding lots of good conkers.

It's not all rest and relaxation though.  Today we managed to get some sweets to our old neighbours and visit my friends parents.  The weather turned horrible in the afternoon so we had to fly about the countryside in torrential rain.  My friend Catherine lives on the other side of the country, so seeing as we can't get there to drop of presents, and seeing as I thought I would be visiting and therefore bought heavy things it worked out quite well we could go visiting.  We bought some cakes from the baker and headed out to their cosy home.  Daisy came along too of course and played with their dogs and then we took them all out together.

I stayed chatting for longer than I should have as we had to rush back to the hotel as I was meeting Natalie and Holly there for afternoon tea.  I was glad they were able to see the hotel, but it was such a pity the weather had turned so awful.  The afternoon tea was actually not at all like it was the first time and such a disappointment.  It was so different, plain and made up of leftovers from breakfast.

Although it was upsetting that I had invited people to a place I thought would be nice and it was not, the afternoon was so lovely.  Holly gave me a wooden westie ornament and a really nice card.  Mark got a whiskey glass and some traditional Scottish cookery books (although I do think they'll be handed to be with bookmarks in them).

When I get back to Aberdeen I am looking forward to getting all my muddy clothes cleaned and looking good.  The one bad thing about hotels is that I can't just get my laundry done and all this walking has left me looking like a tatty scarecrow!