It’s been go, go, go here at SSG Manor.  The fridge has been defrosted, the new car driven home and the house spruced up for my mum and aunty’s visit.  There’s the obligatory fresh linen and towels set out already, there’s plenty of fresh fruit on the fruit stand (including just getting ripe bananas and a few ‘not too sweet’ mangos) and a superior array of magazines on the rack in the lounge room.

They fly in tomorrow evening and will be here for a week.  I’m so excited to be having them both in Sydney before Baby SSG is born.  I’m counting on them both to keep me on the straight and narrow with regard to nursery purchases.  It’s so tempting to go beyond the list of essentials when you’ve got time up your sleeve.  Sometimes I just need to hear the word ‘no’ when it comes to whether or not to buy a baby wipe warmer or a third thermometer…

www.amazon.com

In the books department, I’ve been in the throes of a Paullina Simons addiction.  I just can’t seem to stop downloading her books for my Kindle.  It started with ‘Girl in Times Square’ then ‘Red Leaves’ and just today, ‘The Bronze Horseman’ trilogy.  I won’t bore you with my usual wordy reviews but if you’ve not read any of Simons’ work before, I strongly suggest you pick a novel for your Christmas / New Year break.  They’re the perfect novel to get totally lost in.  For those times when you’ve hours to spare to just sit and read without any distractions or worries.

The women of Simons’ novels are strong yet vulnerable and Simons creates diverse back drops for them with an eye for detail.  From New York to the Russia of the World War II era, she manages to bring both the cities and her characters alive in her densely written prose.  A common theme in her novels are complicated romantic relationships between her heroines and some pretty flawed men.  Sometimes she adds the challenge of war and at other times the suspense of an unsolved murder.  I am addicted the the unpredictability of her novels.

Duties done, you’ll never guess what I’m off to do next!  I just can’t stay up too late though, I need my beauty sleep for tomorrow.

Have a lovely evening and sleep well.