What makes you get up in the morning? What motivates you to scrape yourself from your warm pit on a cold and frosty morning? Let’s be honest, it’s been difficult for the last few months. What with a winter which has pushed us into austerity with the sheer size of heating bills,and the extra food and alcohol required to keep the wolves from the door. It’s been a cruel harsh winter hasn’t it?

Spring, apparently, has finally sprung! And with it we gain a certain joie de Vivre. A lighter step and countenance emanates from us all and suddenly, with the miracle of lighter days comes joy, laughter and positivity! After months of our bodies struggling with lack of vitamin D, we can now bask in the April sun…if only!

The rain, for the most part, has almost certainly stopped play!

Our great British weather. How lucky we are. By carefully planning my days, I’ve managed to do various jobs in my garden. I’ve prepared it for the ‘summer’. For those three days when I’m bound to be at work, when the sun shines brilliantly and we are all lulled into a false sense of security. Where we’ll make plans to barbecue, picnic and naively buy a bottle of Pimms. Be honest. How many of you have been stock piling garden stuff from the season aisle in Tescos? Foolishly purchasing plants, new gloves, play sets, seeds (you’ll never plant as it’s too cold to go out), patio furniture (you stupidly let yours rot) and a new barbie, plus accessories, in eager readiness for a summer season? And I bet you can picture you and yours sitting, no luxuriating in the warm summer sun in a picture perfect setting.

And you’d be right to. A good lifestyle is something we all, quite rightly, aspire to. Some of us want the glitz and trappings of a celebrity setting. Some of you have aspirations of living a life fit to style the cover of Home and Garden magazine. And some covert the look from the latest Vogue cover. Whatever our dreams, aspirations and goals are, it’s worth remembering that life should actually be about having fun and making allowances.

Always have a plan B.

The above, as my various children will tell you, is my motto for life. Always have another escape route, path, way to success and be happy. For example: I’ve always wanted to back pack around the world. Due to varying children of assorted ages, we have never had the luxury to do this. One day, me and Him, will be the oldest back packers in town. However, until that exciting prospect comes to fruition (we have fingers crossed that all the things we want to see haven’t been ruined by man. Therefore, please recycle your plastic) we are left with creating various travels we have made (and aspire to make) through culinary wonder. This past week we have travelled to China (Him more than me), France (happy times where I had no wrinkles), Greece (love and sunshine on a plate), Italy (where we are our greatest meal ever) and the a Lebanese feast (I long to visit Beirut but Him less so).

NB: The latter I created for our friends with Mickey Flanagan ringing in my ears (just like when I found myself dipping gf bread in balsamic vinegar and ordering s veg box, earlier on in the week) about being ‘middle class’. Not so Mickey, just escapism. vinegar, earlier on in the week) about being ‘middle class’. Not so Mickey, just escapism.

Cooking a meal, listening to good music, planting some new herbs in the garden and making optimistic plans for the summerging in my ears (as I was dipping my gf bread in balsamic vinegar, earlier on in the week) about being ‘middle class’. Not so Mickey, just escapism. are ways of beating the drudgery. An ideal life does not exist but having s good life is easy. Plan B? Cook a meal inspired by a gorgeous location – you’re there. Run in the rain like you’re 7 – you’re alive! It’s a freezing cold morning and you don’t know how to entertain the children. Stay in bed, watch a film and drink hot chocolate – savour a guilty pleasure.

Life isn’t about painting that perfect picture. Roll with the punches and ride the waves. Turn that shit around! Happy spring, it’s going to be epic.