On being married for 3 years...

The Boy and I celebrated our THREE YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY this week.

Three years.

That went FAST.

We celebrated by playing to our strengths as a couple; by drinking and eating.

We headed in to Leeds separately, I always think it's fun to meet the person you're living with somewhere other than at home, it feels more like a date instead of asking a question about the next electricity bill at the start of a night out.

The Scarborough Taps was the rendezvous point and after a swift half we headed to the Malmaison Hotel bar which is possibly the most expensive place for a cocktail (£9?!) in Leeds.

After a tap water at the Malmaison we headed to Rare Steakhouse, the only place I've ever dined next to a stuffed lifesize cow called Sue I think? Rather distracting when you're eating a steak, but it's too bloody delicious to care much.

Anyway, here's a few pictures of our evening...

Yeah you are!

Happy Anniversary to The Baxters!

How to do some (feasible) good in 2014

Oh hi 2014!

I'm not making New Year's resolutions. I hate people who only appreciate their lives at the start of a new year. In my mind, you should have a zest for life ALL YEAR ROUND and not just when you buy a new calendar (or get a new one for Christmas).

I try to do good deeds as much as possible. Just small ones, unexpected and not brag about them on Facebook or tell the world that you're a great person. You should like yourself, not do things to get other people to like you. I do feel that if you like the person you are, others will enjoy your company naturally.

I was thinking about good things to do the other day that can help others without costing you loads of money (which no one has these days...) and here's my good deed feed:

1. Foster a cat

Admittedly you have to like cats A LOT to do this one.

We're fostering this cat right here :)

We couldn't decide whether to commit and get another cat after our little cat was put to sleep earlier this year. We're away a lot and it was a big decision, until I came across Cat Fostering. You take a cat in to your home and the cat is displayed on the charity's website until a new potential owner comes forward.

The charity pays the vet bills, food and litter (although we just decided to pay for the food and litter ourselves you don't have to) and in return you give a cat a safe and loving home. There's no guarantee you'll have the cat forever, although our cat is almost ten years old so she's unlikely to be adopted at this age; which is good because I'm already attached to her!

Check out http://www.leedsfelinefriends.org.uk/page9.htm for more information.

2. Give blood

You have loads of blood you selfish beast and you're keeping it to yourself locked away in those veins!

I'm signed up to be a blood donor, and it's only for the fact that I'm currently on medication that I haven't yet given blood. I can't wait to do it though, although I'll probably pass out right away, I'm hoping to be excited about doing something to help others.

Find out more about becoming a donor here http://www.blood.co.uk/index.aspx

3. Shop at charity shops

I bloody love charity shops, I can't get enough of them. You find things you never knew you needed wanted in your life! Like for instance, that old chipped jug, or that book you were going to buy full price, or maybe a dress you've never seen anywhere else!

And the best part? It's a CHARITY shop. You can GIVE to charity and GET stuff in return! Everyone wins!

Plus, you can walk along the high street and decide which charity to support - Cancer Research, British Heart Foundation... Jackpot! Cats Protection League!

Help the cats, people.

I've been to Kenya AGAIN

I know, I KNOW there are plenty of other places to visit in the world, so why did I head back to Kenya for a fifth time???

The answer is that I really wasn't expecting to go back again after I left in April. I'd had three amazing months there and had the time of my life, but I didn't think I'd be going back again.

One day I was bored and decided to check out flights to ANYWHERE in December (a hobby of mine) and I happened to notice that flights to Mombasa were cheap.

Super cheap. £250 return cheap.

So........ I booked it.

And you know what? It was easily the best trip I've had to Kenya so far...

I did so much in the space of two weeks, I was on such a high just being back there and soaking up every second of my trip. I drank far too much for one human being and I got a million mosquito bites but I didn't CARE.

This time I know I'll be going back there again. I love it too much to say I probably won't be going back there.

Feeling the love on Padlock Bridge, Cologne

Here's some photos from Padlock Bridge in Cologne in case you're in need of a little love tonight:

I wonder how many of the couples who chose to add their padlock to this bridge are still together? I like to think that a large percentage are still happily in love, but then I am a romantic, deep down under my hard icy exterior. HA.

And out of the couples who didn't make it, did they try hard enough to make it work? It's not easy staying in love for ever, things change, real life gets in the way and most romance fades dramatically when you live together and walk into your fella on the toilet.

But you have to TRY. You have to remember why you loved each other in the first place and work at that. It's not all dates and dinners and anything else romantic beginning with the letter D. Sometimes it's arguing about doing the washing up, going food shopping then getting angry because you forgot the bloody Bags For Life again, paying the bills and just having a shitty day at work and sitting on the sofa in your pyjamas.

But it's also knowing he is there for you. He'll hold your hand while you do the food shop, giggle over Billy Bear ham and buy a spontaneous bottle of red wine on a Tuesday.

It's kisses on the lips, it's walks in the rain, it's playing music loudly in the kitchen, it's hugging, it's laughing at a crap joke. It's love. It's finding a groove and enjoying it. It's having independence and not relying solely on each other.

I write this as The Boy is in the pub and I've enjoyed a dinner of super noodles having been at another pub and then coming home to keep up with the Kardashians (guilty pleasure).

Goodnight and lots of LOVE.