Wonderful Wednesday #101

{Throwing back to an early December Edinburgh adventure because well even on the greyest day its pretty!} Good day and do you doodle do?!  I write to you feeling the most cream-crackered i've felt in a long time.  As you read this i shall be on day number seven out of seven days in a row at work!  But as of 6pm tomorrow evening i shall be off for seven whole and delicious days!  I adore my job - and being back at it - dropping myself right back in head first at the most busiest time of the year has made me realise quite how much.  At the same time it's also made me realise how exhausting it can be!  I'm ready for lazy afternoons on the sofa reading, for late mornings spent cycling around and about our sweet park on the look out for peepings of Spring and most of all, i'm SO excited for extra sleep and for a mug of tea sipped under the duvet each and every morning. 
But less of what's going to be great about the next week and more about what's already been pretty wonderful in my week so far….
1.  A whole solid day of uninterrupted sunshine, icy minus temperatures and a pretty cloud canopied sky on Tuesday.  It's a shame i was at work all day!  I went for a little lunchtime-shaped wander just to breath that icy fresh air into my little lungs and to check i wasn't dreaming!  These days are just the best.  All this grey and wet and….horridness have had me craving sunshine and blue skies like there's no tomorrow!
2.  Sprouts.  Yep i said it!  They get such a bad reputation and actually they're right up there as one of my all time favourite vegetables!  I'll be ever so sad when they're no longer in season!  I love to steam the sweetest tiniest ones i can find for about five minutes and dip them into hummus!  Trust me when i tell you it's just the best thing ever!  We've been having them alongside any kind of dish that requires a vegetable-y accompaniment!  Which is actually most of them!  I saw a lovely recipe that uses shredded sprouts, bacon and worcester sauce.  I might have to road test that one for lunch on my week off!
3.  David Bowie 'Ziggy Stardust.'  My all time favourite song.  I shan't write words and words about how saddened i am for the loss of one of the greatest musicians of our time.  What i will say is that i feel honoured to have lived at a time that meant i can say i listened, loved and adored his music, creativity and the way he paved the way for pretty much everybody that came after him.   If you think haven't ever heard any of his music {and first of all i just don't believe you!} then if you do one thing this week then please listen to some!  He was one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived and listening to 'Ziggy Stardust' as loud as my little ears could bear on yesterdays grey and dreary walk to work cheered me up no end!
4.  Feeling helpful.  It's one of my favourite things about my job - simply helping people!  Once the sales start and the whirlwind of Christmas, you just don't get the time to indulge in such luxuries!  It's all about keeping things full and getting stuff through the till!  Slowly but surely things are returning to normal and it's nice to offer help, advice and to inspire people and make their shopping trip much more of a pleasure than a chore!
5.  Chocolate. I never ever thought i'd hear myself say this, but over Christmas well we'd sort of fallen out of love.  Most chocolate i mean.  I still managed a couple of chocolate brownies here and there but as for regular chocolate?  Well up until last night i can't remember the last time i had it!!!  That's not like me.  Last night though - call it tiredness, or withdrawal or just whatever you will but i had a real craving for creamy milk chocolate.  I remembered somebody had bought me a bar of Milka Hazelnut swiss chocolate.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I only managed half the bar {nibbled alongside the biggest mug of milky Chai tea} and it was utter heaven!!!!  
6.  Using up the last of the candles.  I got so so many lovely candles for my birthday and for Christmas last year but most of them are Spring-like scents:  Linen, Rose, Rhubarb.  So this week i've enjoyed lighting every single blinking vaguely 'cold weather' or wintery one and relishing the smell of cinnamon, vanilla and Christmas Pudding {!!} each and every evening. Since it's been so grey and wet and horrid it's been pretty lovely.
7.  Seeing the first flowers peep up and take over the world {almost!} on my new Hyacinth plants.  I bought them only a week ago and already i've got a sweet little jam jar filled with their sweet pale pink blooms!  Seeing a little green and pink peep in our living-room has really made me feel ready for Spring….
8.  Wavy hair days.  AKA the saviour for an extra twenty minutes at least under the covers which, come this time of year is a saviour in itself!  Courtesy of a 'waving wand' bought for my birthday.  You simply wrap lengths of hair around the wand and hold for about five seconds.  If i do it before bed all it takes are a few squirts of dry shampoo and a fluff and i'm good to go…..Plus it gets extra bonus points for the fact that it actually still looks pretty two days on.  Win win!
9.  Maple syrup.  I'd gone so so long without ever having had Maple Syrup.  Who knows why for there certainly wasn't any real reason at all!  I've just always reached for the honey in the supermarket.  Now my daily porridge gets a drizzle each and every day and combined with a little mashed banana and coconut yoghurt?  Well you've got yourself a dream snack right there i can tell you! 
10.  Macadamia nuts.  Nuts are my lifesavers.  I'm never without a packet, tin or some kind of receptacle tinkering about at the very bottom of my bag for when hunger strikes.  When i'm extra busy and know i'll have a late lunch or if i've got something on after work i know that a small handful of nuts will see me through until i can make a proper meal.  If i'm feeling really indulgent, i'll sneak in a few squares of dark chocolate too…..what was i saying about chocolate?!?  This week it's been all about Macadamia nuts.  Is it me or are they just the most underrated and forgotten about little nut?!?!?  I keep dreaming about macadamia nut butter since i'm sure it's not a thing yet.  Is it?!?  I imagine it'd be pretty easy to make…. 
11.  Almost almost walking to work in full blown daylight.  That's progress from last week ALONE!!!!   *  *  *  Now my nearest and dearest and favourite ones it's over to you!  Do share with me your wonderful moments from your week so far!  You can pop a sweet comment below, or tweet me or tag me anywhere you like! I'm @sallytangle on both Twitter and Instagram.
Shall i tell you something extra lovely and fabulous about this particular #wonderfulwednesday …?!  The super sassy Michelle from Life Out of London is jumping aboard the #wonderfulwednesday bus this week too!  Pop over and check out her little list of the very best bits of her week so far right HERE and do shout out or share your link below if you've written your own #wonderfulwednesday or similar type post below.  
If you'd like to join in too, do shout out so i can give you a little mention next week too!
Have the most lovely of weeks!