Starting the week by writing the Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while. This is my chance to sit down and reflect on the things that made me happy in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. It’s a post I always love to write.

Five Happy Things {Week 452}

My daughter is now in her last term at Junior school and picked up her Leavers jumper last week. She has been wearing it non-stop (despite the hot weather). We also received her last Junior school photos, and made sure we purchased all her sport team photos too. She is beginning to feel sad about the end of term, especially as all her friends will be going to different secondary schools.

Last week I went into London for a work meeting. It was great to be able to look around another university and this was actually the first face to face meeting I’ve attended in years. It was so much better than a Zoom meeting!

I visited our local library as I wanted to get some dressmaking books. Now my kids are a little older we don’t seem to visit the library nearly as much, which means I don’t get to choose books for myself very often. My local library has a great craft section and I picked up some fun books, totally inspired by watching the Great British Sewing Bee.

Did you know it’s elderflower season here in the UK (usually between late May to mid-June)? We’ve been seeing the pretty white elderflower which look like flat-topped clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers for a few weeks. It grows in woodlands and hedgerows so we often see it on our dog walks. We decided we would go out and pick the flower heads whilst the children were at Scouts, and picked a big bag full of the elderflower flowers, and turned it into cordial. We used an elderflower cordial recipe we use each year and it’s perfect paired with some gin or white wine.

Over the weekend my husband bought me a bike! I’ve had a problem with my knee for the last few years but it’s finally felt better and I always get left at home when the family goes for a bike ride! So I found a lovely bike in a local independent bike shop, Bikewise in Ickenham, and now have a bike for the first time in years. I’ve already been out in the local area and am looking forward to longer bike rides with the family.