The tricky part about Seasonal Affective Disorder and using a SAD lamp is that I have to get up a little bit earlier and be a little bit more motivated at exactly the time of year I feel the worst.

I had such a lovely evening listening to @adamjfarrer.bsky.social talking about his book “Broken biscuits & other male failures”. I was very moved by everything he said and found him deeply engaging, thoughtful, funny and charming.

I recently read “uncommon people” following a recommendation from @hannahfearn.bsky.social and she was totally right - it’s fantastic. Then this very astute take from Dorian capped it all off. I was thrown right back to mid-90s britpop and the chaos of music but most of all, the FUN of it all.

I treated myself to a deliciously filthy NHS breakfast this morning. Fried bread. It was absolutely wonderful and I regret nothing.

God, this is so true. I’m so, so sick of living through “unprecedented” times. I just want boring, precedented times.

What is the topic of the first episode of Podyssey?

I’ve been looking forward to this so much! Well done Alex - I’m so excited to hear your interpretation of the myths!

Wishing I had @drcarpineti.bsky.social with me in the pub tonight as I used a candle to represent the sun and empty pint glasses to represent planets in an effort to explain the planetary alignment.

A few weeks ago, @pifflevalve.bsky.social suggested sowing seeds from a pepper. I popped some onto some damp kitchen roll and put them near the radiator to stay warm. They germinated so I planted them, hoping for maybe one to sprout. Now I have at least five tiny baby pepper plants!

This was SUCH a lot of fun - very chaotic, very funny and incredibly well researched and performed. Go and see Buffy Revamped if you can. It’s at the Lowry until Saturday.

I’m so, SO excited to indulge my inner Scooby and see Buffy Revamped tomorrow.

Oooooooh - let the drama begin!

I can finally set foot on Bluesky again after catching up with the traitors final!

Fucking ticketmaster. Is ticketmaster one of the most loathed companies in Britain? I think they might be. Absolutely zero redeeming features.

I wonder why we all ignored the spice girls and went with millennial instead of generation next?

I don't want to install a fucking app for a website. I already HAVE an app for looking at websites, it's called a browser and it works on all websites.

Ugh - I must’ve made a fatal error last night and inadvertently switched the heating off completely. I’ve woken up this morning to a 14° house and it’s awful.

It’s definitely bedtime so of course now is a good time to learn about alphabets from other languages, including the haček from Czech and the handwritten Georgian script. Why is my brain like this?

Oh no - that’s horrible news. What a sad piece of news. The Vivienne was so young and so talented; it’s a dreadful shame.

For Maths fans, 2025 is a square. 45² = 45 x 45 = 2025 Also, 9² x 5² = 2025 40² + 20² + 5² = 2025 My favourite? 1³+2³+3³+4³+5³+6³+7³+8³+9³ = 2025 #Mathematics #teaching #education

I can’t wait - I’m going to dive in and watch the next episode. But don’t worry: I loathe spoilers so I won’t give anything away. I just couldn’t wait to see the banishment vote! #TheTraitors

If I was at that table and Claudia touched my shoulder, I’m pretty sure I’d squawk with nervous tension and I’d give the game away instantly. #TheTraitors

What a strange decision to adopt an accent! #TheTraitors

I’ve already taken a dislike to a couple of them based on that start alone! #TheTraitors

This is already SO TENSE! What a start! #TheTraitors

Happy new year to everyone - I hope you all had a fantastic night, however you celebrated and saw in 2025. Let’s resolve to make 2025 a better place than 2024.

my friends, I know this sounds like arrant nonsense but: in the northern hemisphere we are now *done* with the darkest three weeks in the year. (the darkest day was ten days ago. we did it. the next 49 weeks are lighter than this.)

Menswear? Why yes, carry on past blouses, after 50 yards turn left at dresses, go down two floors, through lingerie, down another floor and past kids clothes, and it’s at the back on the right, in the alcove, the small cupboard in the alcove. You’ll find our full range there.

A cheeky X File before bed? Why not.

Bugger it. I raced to the hairdresser for my 10am appointment only to discover that it’s actually 10.30am. So I’m now cooling my heels for half an hour.

I think we’re WAY overdue the film of the back story of The Baroness from the sound of music. Set in Vienna, glittering with jewels and parties and high society. The Baroness and Max snarkily and tartly keeping all of the Austrian glitterati in line.

My husband just burst into the room, looked at mischievously and said, sotto voce, “Louisa can make it with a whole jar of spiders in her hair”. Which leads me to suspect that the sound of music is on the telly and he’s engrossed in it.

I know I’m terribly late to the party but Smoggie Queens on BBC is just wonderful. I can’t stop thinking about it. #SmoggieQueens

Using my new Christmas gift espresso pot for the first time and I’m very excited about it!

Only just rolling out of bed now after a very busy Christmas period and it’s glorious to be lazy and have zero responsibilities!

Bed hair and an almost overflowing cup of coffee - going back to work is unpretty.

After a wonderful, wonderful friendmas, it’s time for bed. Merry Christmas to everyone - I hope it was as special for you as it was for me. 🎄

Ok, time to get up - there are presents to wrap and I need to get a head start on making Christmas dinner for tomorrow.

It’s time for a festive FAVOURITE… the Muppet Christmas Carol!

To be charitable, perhaps GBNews is making a play on words here but either way, it’s a contender for Wokey Dokey, right @quietriotpod.bsky.social ? Sleep is so… woke.

My urban family - we had our annual Christmas dinner yesterday and it was just wonderful.

I can’t recommend the weird, almost body-horror gruesomeness of this episode on mincemeat enough, but my biggest takeaway is that Fanny Craddock appears to have perfected an aesthetic that can only be described as “Samurai Thatcher”. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Unbreakable spirit of Georgians! Despite brutal crackdowns and low temperatures, Georgians continue protesting against govt’s decision to freeze EU integration for the 24th consecutive day. 📸Ezz Gaber

Shortest day. It’s all up hill from here! 😍

As always, at a time of culinary stress, I turn to @nigella.bsky.social and she saves the day. I was fretting over pudding for Christmas Day and I’ve settled on her yule log and her black cherry cheesecake. Instant relief!

Not strictly a Christmas film but for me, it wouldn’t be Christmas without the nightmare before Christmas!

It's a week until Christmas and I've hardly seen anyone post the "leave it Tone, it's not worth it" Christmas card so here it is