As usual, I have a few New Year resolutions that are in the eat less, move more spectrum. My main resolution for the month of January is to swim daily. That is a big ask for me because I’m now swimming 40 lengths in an hour session, and I know I’ve done it, often ending up in bed by 8.30 p.m. as I’m just too tired to sit up. Along with this there is more dog walking to do, dog training sessions to attend and as soon as a space opens up a weekly swimming lesson – just for me! This I am very excited about, I’d love to learn to crawl properly and I’ve never had a proper swimming lesson, apart from the 10 weeks with thirty other children in my year for half an hour aged 12. Although our junior school did have a pool so at least we learnt to swim in our daily 10 minutes. So to have 12 adults and one trainer for an hour! Will be absolute bliss.

As some of my regular readers know, I love a new project. At one time I used to feel guilty for not, in the traditional sense of things, finishing things. But not anymore, I accept who I am.

Happy New Year everyone, have fun!

I’ve wanted a dehydrator for such a long time that we decided to treat ourselves this Christmas. It’s just a cheap one, without a timer, but I think I’ll be able to solve that problem with a plug socket for a lamp with a timer. It will be so useful for the allotment, but also to make use of supermarket bargains to have a selection of fruit and vegetables to use should the worst happen with a hard Brexit.

At the moment I’m learning about jars, oxygen packs and timings.

My dehydrator arrived at about 2.30 p.m. so I immediately set it to work with some apples.Many hours later we had this.I don’t think they are completely dry but I needed to go to bed.They taste good though. I’ve bagged them up and popped them in the fridge to add to porridge and muesli and to snack on.

Tomorrow I’m going to do plums and they will have a longer run time, so they should get nice and dry. This book is proving quite helpful. I do love a new culinary hobby.

The last few weeks have been difficult, hubby has not been well and even after a barrage of tests we are no further forward in finding out what the problem may be.

So we take each day as it comes, the good with the rough and realise that even on the good days everything takes so much longer.

On one of the good days we went Christmas tree hunting and found this incredible beauty. I think it’s the most beautiful tree we have ever had.

There have been other lovely moments one of which we enjoyed a trip to the theatre to see Puss in Boots, who can resist a pantomime at Christmas, and off course I met with several people I knew, such is the charm of living in a small town.

Slowly by small degrees our home is Christmas ready.

Merry Christmas everybody, may you be happy however you choose to spend the day.

Look what arrived this morning. So excited. I could have kept it for Christmas Day, but that idea was banished from my mind within about ten seconds. I think we hit the jackpot this month.

Firstly let’s talk about the book, Stories We Tell Ourselves by Sarah Francoise. I think this is going to be the perfect Christmas read., it being all about families at Christmas. The coming together, the families story of memories and traditions, but also old tensions resurfacing and new secrets being kept, all written with humour and warmth. Yep, I can see myself enjoying that immensely, preferably with a twinkly tree in front of a coal fire.

There were so many wonderful treats this month, firstly a nice big bar of Coco Chocolatier Isle of Skye Sea Salt milk. Price £5.00, wow they are really spoiling us this month. It was lovely, didn’t last the day between us both, I’m blaming hubby, he insisted we open it!

Next was Vitamasques Gold Sheet Mask, Price £5.50, wow again.,I love a sheet mask and have been very lucky to try quite a few this year from my beauty boxes. Haven’t tried this brand yet, so that will be a lovely treat.

There was a tea light from Cornwall based St Eval Candle Co, called Inspiratus. Christmas in a candle with scents of aromatic spices, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Who doesn’t love a candle at this time of year, I light mine nearly every night, so this was eagerly welcomed into my stash of scented candles.

And lastly a little notepad with a quote from Jack Kerouac, ‘Be in love with your life. Every minute of it.’ Such a lovely quote to end the year and start thinking of the next.

Thank you Reading in Heels, this was a cracking box, you have truly spoilt us this month.