It's Sunday/Monday: Check-In Time

Linking up with Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and It's Monday! What are You Reading? now hosted by Kathryn @Book Date. 

Well the first week of 2016 didn't quite go as planned, our home server crashed and died and we changed our internet & wifi arrangement and ended up being without for a few days so apologies for being MIA and not visiting. I must admit I enjoyed the unplanned, unplugged time but this week things are back on track #fingerscrossed

Not much reading over the last 10 days, lots of computer time transferring files etc and we've lived in the pool. 

Yesterday we had a 'gourmet' picnic in the park and played badminton, so much fun! 

After Christmas I watched the Downton Abbey Christmas special. Sad to say goodbye to one of my favourite series but what a wonderful send-off.  

And amongst all the series I can't wait for the return of, Vikings tops the list. How exciting does the new season look :)

#FitReaders co-hosted by Felicia @ Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and Jen @ That’s What I’m Talking About. FitReaders is a great way to stay motivated, accountable and it's more fun having bloggy friends to check in with. If you also have a fitbit and want to add me, let me know :)  

I love this group ... support and encouragement no matter what level of activity you're at. Felicia and Jen's stories made me feel comfortable joining 2 years ago, a virus affected my heart and after 6 months of no exercise, I was cleared to begin walking again. It's been a long, slow road to getting heart healthy (literally) but I'm so glad it was with bookblogwalkers/FitReaders. Heartfelt thanks girls HA  :)

This year I'm going to try and do the 5k each month. January was tough but I did it :) 

Fitbit Steps:

Mon: 10,448 steps ~ walk & swimming

Tue: 6489 steps ~ swimming

Wed: 15,522 steps ~ Did January 5k walk with Bella

Thurs: 12,048 steps ~ walk with Bella

Fri: 8034 steps ~ swimming

Sat: 8499 steps ~ play in park & badminton

Sun: 8650 steps ~ swimming and walk with Bella

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Reviews & Posts: (click on title) 

unplugged

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Finished last week: 

IF YOU COULD SEE WHAT I SEE by Cathy Lamb  ~ loved it, what a great way to start 2016.  It will be on my favourite list at the end of the year! Thanks Kathryn :)

THE EYE OF THE SHEEP by Sofie Laguna ~ strangely beautiful and it broke my heart

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This Week's Reading List:

JUST SAY YES by Alyssa Goodnight ~ I'm going to read it this week!!! 

MISSING PIECES by Heather Gudenkauf

THE PATTERSON GIRLS by Rachael Johns (audiobook) ~ chapter 20 and enjoying it

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Reviews Coming: 

THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth ~ heartbreaking & heartwarming

LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY by Jenny Colgan (audiobook) ~ fun. Looking forward to the next one. 

It's Sunday/Monday: Check-In Time

Linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and It's Monday! What are You Reading? hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. In Sheila's absence, share your Monday post on twitter #IMWAYR.

On the home front:

Great week for awesome reads and family stuff, not so great on the sleeping or blogging side of things. I walked to keep my mind off pain (sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't.) Shame the extra hours awake didn't translate into reviews nailed but I like to leave myself room for improvement ;)

Back to the specialist this week, hope he's got something else in his bag of tricks because what he's offered up lately sucks.  And yay scrapbook camp at the end of the week, hoping my hands play nice, I'd like to exercise something other than my mouth! I don't have anything organised so maybe I won't be reading lol.

We had a fun day at the Ekka (QLD Royal Show) with DIL and granddaughter. She loved the huge animal nursery, I think it's my favourite part of the show too. As a little thing I grew up on a farm and I still love feeding the baby animals :)

 I don't go on these spinning rides any more but I love to take photos of the pretty ones and this vintage chairswing is just gorgeous

 clowns normally creep me out. this one, not so much :)

my favourite food at the Ekka is the Strawberry Sundae. To-die-for icecream. All profits go to the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation so it's a good excuse to eat more than one 

#FitReaders Weekly Check-In

 

#FitReaders co-hosted by Felicia @ Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and Jen @ That’s What I’m Talking About. FitReaders is a great way to stay motivated, accountable and it's more fun having bloggy friends to check in with. If you also have a fitbit and want to add me, let me know :)  

Great week for me, 10,000 steps over target and Bella was doing a happy dance :)

Fitbit Steps: 

Mon: 11,020 steps ~ walk with Bella

Tue: 11,002 steps ~ walk with Bella

Wed: 7080 steps 

Thurs: 9040 steps ~ walk with Bella

Fri: 12,022 steps ~ walk at the Ekka 

Sat: 7082 steps ~ walk with Bella

Sun: 9177 steps ~ walk with Bella

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Giveaway:

Winners of HEART OF THE COUNTRY by Tricia Stringer

Australia - Mary Preston

         - Joyful Jo

International - Mystica

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Reviews & Posts: (click on title)

MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE'S SORRY by Erik Backman ~ a treasure chest of life lessons wrapped up in imagination, warmth and humour. 

PARIS IN JULY WRAP UP ~ Merci Beaucoup Tamara

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Finished last week:

Gee I love weeks like this ... all 4.5 and 5 stars

THE BEAST'S GARDEN by Kate Forsyth ~ I love Kate Forsyth, beautiful and heartwrenching. Blog tour review 25th Aug

BLACK-EYED SUSANS by Julia Heaberlin ~ OMG 5 star thriller!!

ALMOST FRENCH by Sarah Turnball (audiobook) ~ loved it :)

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This Week's Reading List: 

THE SECRET YEARS by Barbara Hannay

IF YOU ONLY KNEW by Kristan Higgins

THE LITTLE FLOWER SHOP BY THE SEA by Ali McNamara (audiobook)

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Reviews Coming: 

THE COLOR OF LIGHT by Emilie Richards (Goddesses Anonymous #4) ~ I adore this series.

WE NEVER ASKED FOR WINGS by Vanessa Diffenbaugh ~ crushing on this author!

ON RUE TATIN: LIVING AND COOKING IN A FRENCH TOWN by Susan Herrmann Loomis ~ wonderful for anyone dreaming of living in France

THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos (audiobook) ~ messy family stuff at its best!

THE CANTERBURY SISTERS by Kim Wright 

THE WATER DIVINER by Andrew Anastasios and Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios (audiobook) ~ I bawled my eyes out! 

Paris in July Wrap Up - Merci Beaucoup Tamara

I cannot believe how fast July moved and as soon as it began, Paris in July @ Thyme for Tea was over, well that's how it felt. I loved every minute of it and wish it ran for another month. Sadly all good things must come to an end.   

Merci beaucoup Tamara for hosting another fabulous Paris in July. All your hard work makes it so easy and enjoyable for us to participate ... collating posts each week, providing link-ups, visiting and commenting on participant's posts, scheduling your own. Awesome job!! 

And I've had so much fun. The variety of posts ... quirky, fun, serious, mouth-watering, educational, inspirational. Everything from photos, book reviews, recipes, personal experiences and stories, travel tips, music, things to do, places to go. It really has been the next best thing to being there :)

I've just finished 2 French memoir books, unfortunately too late to post reviews for Paris in July. So next year I'll start early & hopefully be more organised with my reading for the event haha  ... 

Here's what I posted over the month:

CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLE ~ Palace, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's estate and lots of photos of the day. 

BOOK LOVER'S PARADISE - SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY BOOKSHOP ~ love this bookstore and love The Story of Babar the little elephant by Jean de Brunhoff

THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP by Nina George (audiobook) ~ quirky read about a literary apothecary and his floating bookstore on the Seine

LOVE AFFAIR WITH PARIS ~ Paris really is crack for photographers and foodies


until next year ... au revoire

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

Château de Versaille

I've long had a fascination with Marie Antoinette and the French court, over the years reading everything I can get my hands on. The Château de Versaille has been on my bucket list for years and on my trip to Paris last year visiting Versaille was a no-brainer. We stayed in the 7th arrondissement, close to the Eiffel Tower so Versailles was a short trip via the RER. 

You can easily spend a full day here, well I could lol. I pre-purchased Passport tickets (Palace, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's estate) but given the time of the year and choice of day to visit, the queues were non-existent although it was still busy in the palace.  

the opulence was seriously mind-blowing

ceiling in the Royal Chapel ... AMAZING!

loved the Hall of Mirrors ... all that bling makes it tough to get photos

the Queen's Bedchamber 

I loved wandering around Marie Antoinette's estate. Whilst there wasn't much flowering in the cottage gardens in the Queen's Hamlet, the grass is so green and the colours in the trees beautiful.

Marie Antoinette's drawing room - Petit Trianon

Temple of Love

view to Marlborough's Tower

I'll definitely be returning whenever I'm lucky enough to visit France again. It would be so nice to see the gardens in all their glory and hire a bike and picnic in the Queen's Hamlet. 

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

Also linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Love Affair with Paris

I've had a love affair going with Paris since I was a teenager, it's up there with Disneyland. Last year I had 3 too-short-days in Paris and I can't wait to return for an extended visit.

This week Tamara @ Thyme for Tea, host of Paris in July challenged us to post something about the character of Paris or France for that matter.   

That's what I can't wait to return for ... having time to explore the less touristy areas and really soak up all that is Paris. Paris is crack for photographers and foodies and that being two of my favourite things, I was in heaven.

*sigh* ... fave. I know it's touristy but seriously, carousel and the Eiffel tower, is there anything more romantic?

Gregory Renard's @ 120 Rue St. Dominique I found after a lot of walking. They have exceptional macarons for 1 euro each ...  nom nom. Now I wasn't a huge macaron fan until I ate macarons in Paris but I can now see the appeal. We also had macarons on our walking tour from the famous Pierre Hermé, very fancy schmancy. I will save macarons for Paris :) 

Mathilde M ... that gorgeous vintage, shabby chic, provincial style

this little garden right across the river from Notre Dame, can't remember the name but it's so pretty and very quiet in comparison to the business of the city. It's also a free wifi zone. 

We did the 3 hour Chocolate and Pastry walking tour through Viator. It was expensive but I'd highly recommend doing one if you're only in Paris for a short time ... you cover a lot of ground. Our tour guide Adeline was very knowledgable and friendly.

Poilâne in Saint Germain has been on my go-to list for a while and it just happened to be on our visit list. The sourdough loaf was yum yum yum and the croissant was pretty good too. Has anyone got a died-and-gone-to-heaven recommendation for bakeries/patisseries in Paris? For next time around ... I like to be prepared lol

I'm off to spend some time in France checking out everyone's posts ... the next best thing to actually being there. 

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

I'm also linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs.