Writing, fatshion, me: My 40th Birthday

I was forty years old on the 19th of January! I actually cannot believe that's my actual age! It seems ridiculous! I had a lot planned because I like to celebrate with a lot of people. On my actual birthday, we went to Leeds.

Lee and I got there at about noon and parked at The Light, and then went to Haute Dolci for dessert for lunch. We knew we didn't need a big meal so we just had dessert! Lee had waffles with milk chocolate sauce, and I had milk chocolate cookie dough with milk chocolate sauce, and a pink lemonade. It was absolutely delicious!

After that we went into a few shops. Lee wanted to look at records, and I wanted to go into Harvey Nichols as I had a voucher to spend. He bought records, and I bought fancy hot chocolate and fancy chocolates in Harvey Nichols. Then I wanted to go to Build A Bear for Lee to buy me a bear. I have one that my mother did for me years ago and I thought it would be nice to have one from Lee. It took us ages to find it but we eventually managed to, and we got a pink bear with a rainbow dress. She smells of candy floss!

Then we went back into the Light to meet my mum, stepdad, aunt, uncle, and younger cousin, Peter. We did an escape room! As I've blogged previously, I've done two there before. This time I'd booked one called Our Finest Hour which is World War Two themed. My stepdad can't stand up for a long time so I had asked for a chair to be put in for him, and they were really helpful and it was great for him. The room was really interesting and I liked it. We escaped in forty-two minutes and thirty-three seconds, which put us on the leader board for the week, which was great! I was so pleased with that. We had our photo taken.

Then we went out of the Light to the big wheel in front of the library. I had seen it on the way in and wanted to go, so my aunt, uncle and Peter came with me. It was a lot of fun. There was a lovely sunset from the top.

By this time it was nearly 5pm so my mum, Caroline and I went to get changed into our evening glam. In the meanwhile, Lee, Peter, Norman and Neil went to Fleur where we went to have some drinks. I wouldn't really recommend the place - the drinks were nice but the service was rubbish. I should really have booked a table for drinks in Turtle Bay but I didn't think about it. Oh well! I also opened presents from family here. My aunt got me a Snag jumper with strawberries and cherries on, and my mum had already given me this beautiful pendant that she had made for me, but on my birthday she gave me a pen wrap filled with forty pens! It's so lovely!

At just after 7pm we went to The Alchemist on Greek Street which I had booked and since it was my birthday I had a free main meal too. I had a colour changing cocktail which I always love in the Alchemist, and I had cauliflower bites to start with and then a halloumi flatbread with fries. They were both really nice! I had a zombie cocktail too which was lovely. My mum also ordered champagne for us to share, which was lovely! I was really glad of it.

We didn't have pudding but just drove home to my mum's, where we had cake! I had ordered a lot of cake (I over ordered, really) so we cut into the rainbow cake and had some each! I was wearing a new dress from Maya Deluxe; I got two for my birthday and this pinky one was one of them. I ordered a ton from Simply Be and chose two from what I ordered. This one was too low on my boobs so my mum sewed a modesty panel in to it, but I don't think you can really tell! It looks like it was always there!

Here's a zillion photos:

In side Haute Dolci. I've been past a zillion times but hadn't been in. I really liked it - the desserts were delicious and the prices weren't bad either

It's really pretty inside, it felt like a nice comfy place to be

Here's Lee sitting right in the window

And here's me. This is what forty looks like! Wow, can you believe it

Pink lemonade, which wasn't too sweet so was a great antidote to the sweet dessert

Lee's waffles with chocolate

My cookie dough with sauce

In the County Arcade in Leeds, this is the one with the clock at the end but I didn't get a photo of it. This area of Leeds is very pretty

This is the bear I got in Build a Bear, isn't she ridiculous? I love her

This is us after we had escaped our escape room! My mum, stepdad, aunt, cousin, and uncle had all never done one before but they all enjoyed it. All of them input something into solving the puzzles! We didn't ask for a lot of help from the Game Master, either, I was proud of us!