{bubble tea love}

And I'm back... I have found myself with some more spare time up my sleeve recently and a friend suggested that I should throw myself back into blogging again so here I am! It's crazy that it's been almost a year since my last post. 2015 was a bit of a pretty dramatic year for us on the health front so we are hoping for a lot less drama this year! But it will be a big year with a new home purchase and us moving in mid-year.  So that means some renovating and decorating which I will hopefully post about here.  The pinning  has already begun...! In the meantime, we just enjoyed a lovely long Easter weekend at home and hosted some friends for lunch on Easter Saturday.  First time we made a lamb roast (and it turned out great to our delight) and we also pulled out the same hot cross buns recipe that I used last year which was a hit. I think this will become an annual Easter tradition. I really do love cooking for family and friends so I think my next hosting challenge

Today I need to concentrate and write a briefing paper for my boss' boss.  Being in an open plan office it means putting on my headphones and turning on Spotify to listen to their Afternoon Acoustic playlist.  It's my go-to playlist and features this sweet little tune from John Mayer...   

Love Kate Spade . Love Anna Kendrick.  Love the Pink Flamingo swimmers .

I got back last Friday from a week away in Washington and I fell in love with the place.  I was there for work so didn't have too much time to get out and about.  I did land on a Sunday though so had that day to myself to sightsee which was lovely. It's such a great city! I just walked and walked and walked... One of highlights was chancing upon the White House Spring Garden Tour by complete accident. The timing was perfect as they only open the gardens for two weekends a year so I was able to go in and have a closer look.  I didn't have time to see too much of the city but I loved walking through  Georgetown  and the National Mall  and it was such beautiful Spring weather.  It's definitely a city to revisit. One of the best things about being in the US was the food.  I love bagels and they are so hard to find in Singapore so I took advantage and had a bagel with cream cheese every morning.  I also spent ages in Whole Foods :) Some other resta

When we were in Phuket last month, the Mr found some really tasty locally made granola by Crunchy Monkey  at the supermarket.   We liked it so much we bought a few bags home with us.  The little Miss is a big fan and is always asking to eat 'crunchy monkey' (even when it isn't breakfast time!). Unfortunately our stocks are running low and good quality granola (that is not just toasted oats) is so expensive!  So to keep me and the little girl busy on the weekend and to try and combat the jetlag I was suffering, I decided to try and make our own.  It was way easier than I expected and is super yum.  It was also a fun and easy way to get the little Miss involved in cooking. I tried a simple recipe but I think I will try other variations next time.  I turned to trusty google and this  one  was the first result after searching 'home made granola' so I adapted it and gave it a go... Homemade Granola  Ingredients: 2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup chopped raw nuts

I first tried chia seeds when I started getting into green smoothies  last year.  I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  At that time, all I knew was that chia seeds were those those things from Chia Pets that you may have had as a kid!  They are actually quite the superfood and full of nutrients, antioxidants, omega 3 etc.   I used to see all these chia seed pudding recipes and was very skeptical but chia seeds soaked overnight with some milk, honey and topped with fresh fruit really is yum and a good option for breakfast or dessert.   Then I saw this recipe this morning on Beauticate ... rose and figs - two of my favourite things!  I definitely want to try this recipe out.