April is such a lovely month. It finally feels like Spring is on it’s way. Whilst it’s not quite warm enough for me to brave bare legs just yet, it’s definitely nice to wear a lighter jacket rather than my vast Winter parka.

My highlights for this month are definitely helped along by the wonderful 2 weeks Easter holidays I had. They were much needed and very enjoyed.

1: Easter Holidays.

The couple of weeks I had off were fantastic. I managed to cram in a couple of trips away, to Northumberland and to my parents. It was also nice to have some time to recharge my batteries. The fact that I was told by my consultant I need to start a gluten free diet was also helped by having the time off. I was able to get my head around what I can and cannot eat now and experiment with my new diet. Visiting the Good Food show again was also a definite highlight!

2: Camping.

I honestly never thought this would be the case but I really enjoyed our camping trip over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Roll on many more of these!

3: Daffodils

I’ve been making the most of my love/obsession with these flowers this month. My house has constantly had at least one vase of these in all month (it’d be rude not to when they’re such a bargain!) I even managed a trip 0ut based on the promise of seeing daffodils! Driving past clumps of them on my way to and from work brightens my day and puts a smile on my face. They remind me of how important it is to appreciate the little things in life more.

4: Wedding shoes/Bridesmaid dresses.

I found THE SHOES this week! They’re a super cute t-bar style that I can wear again. This was important to me as I wanted shoes that were suitably wedding-y but no so much so that they’d never see the light of day after the wedding itself. These bad boys definitely fit the bill.

I also found my bridesmaid dresses.  After starting to panic that I wouldn’t find anything in the green shade I’d set my heart on I stumbled across the dream ones in Phase Eight. They were an absolute bargain, and can be worn again by the girls without them looking like bridesmaids. Most importantly they both look incredible in them!

What’s been making your April brilliant?

I’ve been continuing with my 101 in 1001 challenge.

Here’s what I’ve managed to cross off my list during March and April:

 March 2015

83. Go to the ballet. 7.3.15

I went to see the Royal Northern Ballet performance of Romeo & Juliet with my mum. As 29th birthday presents go, this was pretty great. It was beautiful and emotional and thoroughly enjoyable.

100. Visit the theatre. 13.3.15

I went to watch DV8’s performance of John at the Grand theatre in Blackpool with my friend Sara. It was my first experience of physical theatre and definitely a memorable one (there may have been a few too many full frontals of the male cast for my liking though!) 

April 2015

39. Go to the cinema. 1.4.15 

Jonny and I went to the cinema with a (much younger) friend. We chose to see Get Hard, it seemed like the best offering out of a bad bunch. It made me laugh in parts but I won’t be rushing to watch it again.

10. Go camping. 4.4.15-7.4.15

We spent the Easter bank holiday weekend camping with friends at Haltwhistle and exploring the surrounding areas. It was lovely and something we’ll certainly be doing more of.

40. Turn off phone for 24 hours. 5.4.15

As a result of the camping trip, this one was easier than anticipated. I think I only accessed social networking sites once during the 4 day trip. It was so lovely not feeling like I needed to be seeing what the rest of the world was up to, I could just enjoy what I was getting up to in my life. I really need to switch off more often.

77. Visit somewhere never been before. 6.4.15

During our little trip away we visited Bamburgh Castle. It’s somewhere neither of us had visited before and definitely surpassed both of our expectations. The castle itself was fantastic, and the surrounding area and beach views from it were incredible. We’re planning to return to the area in the future, tent in tow!

See my previous progress with the challenge here.

At the start of this month I had a visit to see my consultant at hospital. Long story short my health hasn’t been great over the past year. I’ve had ridiculously low energy levels, amongst other issues. After a series of blood tests, cameras down my throat (gross) and resultant biopsies I was told I really should try a gluten free month as he suspected I had coeliac disease.

Coeliac disease basically means the body cannot process foods which contain gluten (which can be found in wheat, barley and rye) and instead of taking the nutrients out of food the body instead attacks the stomach lining.

I also have a family history of the disease which was really useful when I was told to change my diet as I was able to contact them about which food products were good/which to avoid!

The downside to the change in diet is how stupidly expensive gluten free food is. I’m now one of those guys hanging out in the free from aisle, religiously reading ingredients lists to check they’re OK for me to eat. The longer I practise the diet, the easier it’s becoming. I’m slowly discovering which gluten free foods are nice and which really just taste like hamster bedding!

The upside is that I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my energy levels and general wellbeing. As a result of having more energy, I’m feeling more positive and the little things that used to niggle me don’t seem like such major issues.

Yes it’s a pain in the arse when I go out (I now carry my own back up lunch in case the menu isn’t gluten free) but this is a small price to pay for feeling so much better in myself.

I have a new found respect for anyone living with Coeliac disease. Cheers to the gluten free fun times!

 

I am beyond excited about this!

Only one year to go!

The major bits are sorted, the rest can now be organised at a more leisurely pace.

I cannot wait to enjoy the rest of this year as a fiancee, and my last ever year as Miss Carville!