My month in numbers - December

So I am a little behind with my blogging (a bit like the rest of the world it seems, I too have been struck down with lurgy over Christmas and am now playing catch up!)...but without further a do can I wish you all a Happy New Year and share with you my Month in Numbers...

1 Premier League football manager, 1 Saudi prince and 2 free bottles of wine was how we ended our trip to the Manchester Christmas markets when 6 of us headed off for an Italian meal to end the day! We have now coined the phrase #itsneverdull as we always seem to attract weird and wonderful things when we get together!!

£465 - the amount of donations I took whilst volunteering to take calls at our call centre for Text Santa - I took donations ranging from £5 to £100 and it was really fun and just a little bit humbling.

18 of us went out for a Christmas meal followed by a very entertaining night at The Comedy Store.  Only one of the comedians was really any good but that's the luck of the draw - by that point we had consumed copious amounts of alcohol and were beyond caring!

3 is the number of houses we visited on New Years eve to celebrate the end of 2012. We started off at one for starters, onto the next for stew, lasagne and delicous chicken pie and finally the last one for cheese & biscuits and a good old boogie!

3 was also the number of times I made this mince pie slice over the festive period.  My work colleagues and my Dad just could not get enough of it! Thanks to BBC Good Food for a great recipe.  And for those that have started to count already I added 40 stars to the top!  This was it before it was baked btw!

I'm sure I must have had more numbers but we are half way through January now so I can not recall them! (Note to self to make notes this month!!!)

And this has nothing to do with numbers but I had to share this as the best "little extra" pressie I bought at Christmas for my daughter.

She is a creative sole like myself and has spent many a happy hour doodling, tearing, scribbling and writing in this book!  There are three to collect and we have already stocked up on some for presents as they are down to just over £6 on Amazon.  (Other book sites are avaialble lol!)  Here is how Amazon describes it...

Think of Keri Smith's Wreck This Journal as the anarchist's Artist's Way - the book for those who've always wanted to draw outside the lines but were afraid to do it.

For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book featuring a subversive collection of suggestions, asking readers to muster up their best mistake - and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them).

Through a series of creatively and quirkily illustrated prompts, acclaimed artist Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in 'destructive' acts - poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, colouring outside the lines, and more - in order to experience the true creative process. With Keri Smith's unique sensibility, readers are introduced to a new way of art and journal making, discovering novel ways to escape the fear of the blank page and fully engage in the creative process.

Thanks for stopping by

Julia