Do you have an Easter Tree?

Are Easter trees a thing?

I've seen lots of sticks and twigs decorated with Easter eggs.

But I decided to bring down the small Christmas tree out of the attic and hang the Easter decorations on it instead of buying something new or spray painting branches and making something myself.

My husband thinks I'm mad. I probably am.

We'll be spending Easter in Northern Ireland. There are eggs for the adults and our grandson as well as some Easter activity crafts and the same for our other grandchild who we'll see before we go. There's an egg for the house sitter and one for her to share with the cat and the dog egg is coming with us to Northern Ireland for child 4's dogs.

There will be a trail for the neighbours kids when they come to visit to collect their eggs and I delivered eggs to my friend's kids over the weekend.

It's not just Christmas and Easter time that I decorate, I did Valentines last month and I love Halloween also. 

I took some decorations and cakes into school for my students for Valentines.

I did the same for Easter.

Do you decorate for Easter and other occasions? 

January 2022 in words and photos. Getting my craft on.

If you read my blog on a regular basis or follow any of my social media posts you'll know I publish a photo a day for #Project365, that I call #OneDailyPositive.

This is my 8th year of doing this, originally set up upon moving to Dubai from South Africa to motivate me to get out the house daily and find something to be positive about.

I do get out doors a lot, with dog walks and cups of tea outside even if it is raining, I just sit inside the shed door. but due to a kitchen refurb I've spent most of my time in my craft room on the top floor. Originally child 5s bedroom. The other room is used for storage, originally a rather expensive loft conversion for child 4.

I thought I'd share with you some of the things I've been making and plans for things to come.

So I started by recycling my lockdown crafts where I used items around the home. I'm still doing that but now I have all my furniture in so time to get my bake on and sewing machine in action.

MIL knitted the panel, I turned it into a cushion.

Alice in Wonderland inspired door.

Getting everything sorted and in order makes sewing so much easier.

Overlocker in for repairs.

Now I remember why I don't do zips.

I bought these curtains for our grandson, but they needed altering.

Always measure twice

and cut once.

Iron everything before sewing, makes it so much easier.

Neighbour requested a padded name for her daughters room

I of course now have to do Great Nephew and

both Grandchildren.

The boy next door turned 2 so I baked dinosaur biscuits and made toppers for the cakes. I had to bake next door.

I've already started to plan what I'm making for Easter, we're also making blinds for the kitchen and I'd like a notice board for the kitchen that will be a joint effort and once we reclaim the conservatory when the kitchen is finished I've got curtains to make for there.

I've also been making cards, mainly recycling old ones and I can't wait to get in the kitchen and do some more baking.

Are you creative? 

One Daily Positive - Week 7. More dentists and a migraine

WTF are the neighbours doing at home every afternoon? The bounce, bounce, bounce for almost an hour everyday is the 8 year old playing football indoors before his parents return from work, lord knows what the maid is doing and I do wish whoever it was that plays the bannister rails would stop also.

I'm not sure they realise how noisy they are, they apologise and shut up when I complain, but that's only ever after 11pm and before 6am and mostly involves the dog barking.

Peter has agreed with me, no neighbours when we next move, even if it isolates us or costs us more.

41 Sunday Dentists at 8am and driving across the city is stressful, crown prepared, more moulds taken and plate adjusted. Head was hurting before I left home, had booked pedi and manicure and hair cut. Dropped some things at a friends and straight home to bed with a migraine.

42 Monday Migraine kept me awake from 3am, spent the entire day in my pj's, in bed, in the bath, on the sofa, slept, watched TV, ate.

43 Tuesday Off to the dog park first thing, still not feeling right so a lazy afternoon, another dog walk and an early night.

44 Wednesday Took Bob out for a coffee, swept the sand off the balcony, watched TV, sorted craft stuff and paperwork.

45 Thursday Bob's 9th birthday. We had a McDonalds and cake.

46 Friday Brunch at Nara. 2 for 1 all you can eat and house drinks for a total of £30. We of course over did it and spent the afternoon and evening on the sofa binge watching The Grand Tour. The neighbours decided to make a noise until almost midnight, not impressed.

47 Sunday A lazy day, coffee out, watched TV, carried out a few jobs, hubby cooked dinner and we watched football in the afternoon. My hometown Newport kick off late here against Man City so a late night for us.

Can I please ask if you join in with the blog hop that please find the time to visit and comment on everyone who does the same for you, it's polite at the end of the day. I read and comment on every single post that links up, every single week, even if I'm on catch up. There's a few of you here who haven't been over to my posts yet.

I might not be a baby/mum blogger or even have a job, monetise my blog or be an influencer you need to follow, but I'm here, every week, taking part and have a wide range of life experiences to share.

On the blog this week:

I guess it's because the kids have left home and I'm stuck in limbo, but it's not helped with all the ill health, family deaths and losing my teeth over the past 18 months, but I'm starting to feel old.

Animal antics - Bob needs a bath and Pushkins has been exploring the balcony.

Creating a garden in the desert - my gardening in January has been all about rain and sweeping sand

An InLinkz Link-up

111 My Sunday Photo - V is for Valentine

Despite the picture which may lead you to believe I'm single, over 40 and lonely, you'd only be right on 2 out of 3.

I'm not looking for a valentine, I'm happily married, I am over 40 and no one warned me that when your kids left home one would fill the space with pets and I'm lonely in the day during the 8+ hours Peter is in work.

Peter and I are going out on the evening of February 14th. Me with a friend for dinner and him with his colleagues for work. 

#BobTheDog will be my valentine's date on Tuesday and we're off for lunch with a group of dogs and their humans.

My dog is how I meet people and make friends, now the kids are no longer at home.

Week 7 Project 365 I finally got my visa

The week hasn't started well I'm afraid, no dramas, just health issues. All this uncertainty and hotel living has finally caught up with me and I can't seem to stay awake. I finally got my residency visa this week, just waiting for my Emirates ID, then I can apply for my driving license and open a bank account.

Day 39 #onedailypositive #inmybag #fmsphotoaday #out&about #snaphappybritmums #project365

I spent the morning cooking and wearing pjs, I had no plans to go out other than the photo prompt for today. The cooking inspired ideas for the rest of the week, so I dressed, caught the number 93 bus and visited Carrefore, returning within the hour with a bag full of goodies to make soups, risotto and banana muffins. It's wonderful after living in South Africa just to be able to 'pop to the shops' using public transport.

Day 40 ‪#‎onedailypositive‬ ‪#‎energy‬ ‪#‎fmsphotoaday‬ ‪#‎snowdrops‬‪#‎snaphappybritmums‬ ‪#‎project365‬ 

Any suggestions as to where I can find snowdrops in the middle of the desert? So I'm cheating and took a photo of the sledge run at the ‪#‎MallOfEmirates‬ it's snow and a drop. Energy wise and my one daily positive I'm on a train to Jebel Ali with my passport TO FINALLY GET MY VISA. My tourist visa expires in 2 days and I really didn't fancy another visa flight to Oman and back.

The train to Jebel Ali was a new route for me and it was weird to pass through Energy station on route.








Day 41 #onedailypositive #ThisInspiresMe #fmsphotoaday #RaiseSomeDough #snaphappybritmums #project365

4 years ago I gave up making financial donations to #charities. I'll still happily sponsor a child with an activity at their school as I believe the message of helping others is a good virtue to install into our children, but I won't be sponsoring the cost of your skydive or mountain trek and I won't be donating to #ComicRelief and other organisations.
What happened to change my mind? I moved to South Africa and volunteering became a way of life for me, in fact my entire life and I was fortunate to meet some of the most inspiring people I've ever come across with my involvement in Santa Shoebox and The Viva Foundation. Alone we cannot stop poverty, but from experience we can do something to make life a little more tolerant and give hope and a sense of identity. This little girl in the picture is 3 and like all her class mates she had never had a birthday party, in fact if you ask the children at the Viva School how old they are, they are unable to tell you. Birthday parties are a luxury, actually running water and electricity are luxuries so you can imagine how far down the list a birthday party or a gift actually is.
I shall be back in South Africa in October to help collect, pack, sort and distribute up to 10,000 christmas gifts in Pretoria and will be making and selling cakes and crafts here in Dubai to raise funds for Viva to support education and provide their children with the opportunity to have a birthday party, a cake and a bit of respect. If you want to donate directly to Viva then please click here, citing Party and Chickenruby as your reference. 

Day 42 #onedailypositive #OnTheWall #fmsphotaday #two #snaphappybritmums #project365

This is driving me up the wall, I have no idea which light switch operates which light and for some reason as I've discovered today, if I want the outside light on at the front of the house, the switch for it is in our bedroom at the back of the house. So today I'm labelling all the switches and drawn a little map. Sad? No, we had 2 switches in South Africa for 2 years that we never knew what they switched on. In every room there appears to be 2 switches that don't operate any lights anywhere and yes, I've checked and replaced bulbs/globes. The daily positive is that today feels like the first day of normal, I'm catching up with blogging and sorting photo's and off to the beach in a bit to cool down after mopping the kitchen floor.

Day 43 #onedailypositive #pointy #fmsphotoaday #white #snaphappybritmums #project365

This photo was taken from our front door step. It is the white moon above the pointy top of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building at 828 meters high. Everywhere you go in Dubai the Burj Khalifa is visible, from the beach, the bus stop and on a very clear day there have been reports you can see it from Saudi Arabia.
Now we are back in the northern hemisphere the moon and the stars are familiar again, it's strange though not to be able to see the southern cross anymore. Today's positive is we are fortunate, through hard work and determination to have the opportunity to live abroad and experience life as expats.

Day 44 ‪#‎temptation‬ ‪#‎fmsphotoaday‬ ‪#‎dinner‬ ‪#‎snaphappybritmums‬‪#‎project365‬ 

Sitting in the desert having a braai, there's a fillet steak on the coals and for dessert M&Ms, fairy cakes and fizzy pop.

Day 45 #onedailypositive #love #fmsphotoaday #hearts #snaphappybritmums #project365

Having spent 4 years in the Southern Hemisphere and now moving to another hot climate, it has been important to me to mark the seasons in some way rather than relying on the weather. In South Africa Halloween is in Spring, Christmas in the summer and Easter in Autumn. I marked the seasons by celebrating the events and decided the dining room was the best place to do this because as a family with kids and now without them we always sat down together for our main meal of the day. We spent this christmas back in the northern hemisphere but on the beach, no amount of penguins or snowmen on cards can make it feel like a christmas I knew but I do enjoy setting the dining room table to reflect the seasons and at least now at Easter when I put the decorations out, it will be back in spring again.