Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. From being very lazy and eating way too much over the holidays l have hit the new year with determination to fight the flab and get at least some way towards being fit. Usually this feeling lasts only into lunch time on January 1st before l (like most of the nation) give up and head for the biscuits. But no, its day 3 and l am still hanging in there with herbal teas instead of coffee and fruit everywhere. Actually herbal teas really are great for getting a start on a diet (or healthy eating plan to be more p.c.) they give you something with a bit of flavour and no nasty calories, add to that the fact that they actually do good things for your body, and you really are on to a winner.

So here are a feew ideas to try yourselves;

Use about one spoonful of dried herbs per cup plus 'one for the pot'. Pour boiling water over leaves and leave for 5 - 10 minutes to brew. Sweeten with honey if you prefer this taste.

If you are feeling sluggish try a peppermint infusion to wake you up and feel refreshed. Add a touch of cinnamon for a bit of a change.

A mixture of sage and lemon balm can help with coughs and sore throats.

Can't get to sleep, my all time favourite tisane (herbal tea) has to be lavender, lemon balm and chamomile, you will sleep like a log.

I have started the dreaded clear out of HQ (funny how a few weeks of 'l'll deal with that later' can lead to complete mayhem and total mess) and am now digging thru my fabrics to work them into the new designs. Can't wait to get these new ideas into action. Actually l had better get them into action rather fast as fairs are coming up and l am now somewhat low on stock anyway. Country Living won't be doing their fair in Glasgow this Spring, which is a real shame, however we have a Christmas fair to look forward to in November instead.

By the way the photo with the chicken was taken by my daughter Idgy this morning, and she dared me to put it on the blog. So there you are no pride left, have to get on that diet!!