The outdoor run has finally happened. We headed to our local park — the actual Race for Life venue — and completed 5K in fifty three minutes and twenty five seconds. Hills, a few spots of rain and a daughter who started off very cocky and ended up at the back complaining about her legs. She still completed it though. We’re all proud.

The prom dress has been collected, shoes found in ten minutes flat at New Look for a fraction of the expected price and a gorgeous set of sterling silver jewellery — sun, moon and stars — picked up at a lovely little shop in the Bentall Centre in Kingston. Honey came too. Turns out Kingston is very dog friendly.

We stopped for pizza at Pizza Express by the River Thames — burnt ends barbecue pizza, hot honey dough balls and sparkle drinks all round. Highly recommend.

Almost Blooming this week — two garden centres, a hanging basket we built ourselves and flamingo pink stones for the bonsai bed. The photos are on our socials.

De-Chox is underway for the British Heart Foundation. It is going well. Mostly. The post office chocolate stand nearly won. It did not.

Tipple of the Week is Hotel Chocolat banana cold chocolate — technically chocolate, but it’s a drink so it doesn’t count. We’ve decided.

And Almost Edible is homemade chilli and nachos in the garden with the patio heater on. Romantic, spicy and absolutely worth making twice.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

Couch to 5K is complete. Eleven weeks, two forty-five minute sessions to finish and a personal best on speed. The outdoor run is coming — we’ve promised you and we’re not backing out. We also ditched the car for two days this week, walked to Screwfix, sat in a sunny park and discovered the Costa OOB — a vanilla nutty drink that tastes exactly like a Bakewell tart. Highly recommend.

We’re supporting the British Heart Foundation De-Chox this May — giving up chocolate for the whole month. There’s a very personal reason behind it and we talk about it openly this week. If you’d like to join us or support the cause, we’d love to hear from you.

There was also a leavers shirt. Iron on transfer paper. Nine o’clock at night. A practice run on a spare piece of cloth. And a Death Stranding design that somehow came together in the end. We are never doing that again.

Honey’s Butternut Box gets a well deserved five paws. Grace on ITV gets a very enthusiastic recommendation — John Simm, Richie Campbell, six series, one cliffhanger we are not ready to talk about. Almost Blooming this week features baby oak trees, a mouse in the cupboard and one very startled Mr Almost.

Tipple of the Week is Orchard Pig cider from the Perfect Draft machine — three degrees, Somerset fresh and absolutely worth it. And Almost Edible is a proper family lasagne. Dolmio sauces, lots of cheese, comfort food at its best.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

Chelwood Vachery is five kilometres of bluebells, streams, Exmoor ponies, woodland paths and one very carried dog. Honey made it as far as the car park. Mr Almost had a secret up his sleeve — a cheeky ice cream stop at Heaven Farm on the way back. Rolo and Biscoff. Obviously.

Couch to 5K is on the home straight — two eighteen minute runs, a personal best and twelve weeks to go until the Race for Life. We are going outside to run very soon. The treadmill can only prepare you so much.

The provisional driving licence has finally been sent off. After weeks of drama — the forms, the photos, the hair — it turned out all we needed was a passport number and a signature. That was it.

The garage has been decluttered. Fifty million footballs have gone to a better place. The tip workers were very happy about it. Before and after videos are up on our socials.

Almost Blooming makes its audio debut this week — complete with its very own jingle. The garden is waking up, the wood mouse has moved in and the artificial grass has been hoovered. Yes, hoovered.

And Almost Edible this week is the first ever rotisserie chicken on the BBQ — trussed up with butcher’s twine, seasoned with garlic salt and mixed herbs, one hour forty five minutes rotating over the coals and the result was juicy, golden and absolutely worth it.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

We took an unexpected trip to London — a solo walk along the Thames, Borough Market at its busiest, more cheese than either of us have ever seen and a jackfruit the size of a small child.

We’ve been binge watching Hidden Assets on BBC iPlayer — three series in three days. Irish crime drama following the Criminal Assets Bureau, full of twists, brilliant characters and one very memorable tackle. Highly recommend.

The Race for Life is thirteen weeks away. The Couch to 5K is pushing harder than ever on the new Peloton Tread. The doctor has confirmed it’s allergies not asthma — and he spent most of the call sneezing.

Tipple of the Week is Belgian hot chocolate — low calorie, very satisfying and now hidden in the cupboard from everyone else.

And Almost Edible this week is Las Iguanas in Brighton. Stringy mozzarella on the nachos, disappointing enchiladas and a bill that made us wince. We won’t be going back. Old El Paso kit from the supermarket is officially better. There. We said it.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

Mrs Almost heads in the gym to find a brand new Peloton Tread waiting for her. The Couch to 5K journey takes a serious step up — faster, harder and the Race for Life is very much still on. The Ikea kitchen appointment finally went ahead and the plan is looking brilliant — a dream kitchen is on the horizon, just with a little patience required.

The hot cross bun hunt results are in. We visited Gail’s Bakery, Coughlan’s Bakery and a local independent — and Gail’s won by an absolute mile. Four hot crosses. The others didn’t come close. Videos are up on our socials if you want to see the full tasting.

The one kilogram Hotel Chocolat ostrich egg has finally been cracked open — and the chocolate ban has officially ended. Turns out months without chocolate makes you want a lot less of it. Who knew?

And Almost Edible this week is the BBQ debut of the year — rib of beef on the bone, pulled brisket slow cooked for eight hours then finished on the barbecue, Jamie Oliver potatoes and strawberries and cream in the garden with string lights and a patio heater. It felt like a pub garden. We’re never putting the BBQ away again.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

Our Couch to 5K journey is almost complete — week eight is in sight, new trainers are ready and the Race for Life is firmly on the horizon. We also have a health update, a vitamins review and a journaling check-in as we reflect on how far we’ve come since episode one.

We review Young Sherlock on Amazon Prime — Guy Ritchie’s brilliant new series following a nineteen year old Sherlock Holmes at Oxford. Eight episodes, binge-worthy and Colin Firth is absolutely not what you’d expect. Highly recommend.

BBQ season officially begins — brisket low and slow, rib of beef, duck skewers, honey mustard sausages and a very good local butcher. We report back on how it all went.

And the hot cross bun hunt is on. Multiple bakeries, a four cross scoring system and pictures on Instagram. Which one came out on top?

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

Heights multi vitamins - https://www.heights.com

We started at a drinks event near Liverpool Street with a free bar, inches cider, gin and some very welcome mini burgers. Then Mr Almost had a surprise up his sleeve — dinner at the newly opened Jamie’s Italian on Leicester Square. Fantastic service, stunning atmosphere and hands down the best pizza either of us has ever eaten. We will be going back.

Our Couch to 5K journey keeps pushing forward — new running trainers are in, the gym has had a tidy up and the rowing machine has made an appearance. Race for Life is very much on.

Tipple of the Week is Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple with Pepsi Max — smooth, easy drinking and very much a keeper.

And Almost Edible finally delivered — a proper Sunday roast. Slow cooker gammon, Jamie Oliver’s famous smashed roasties, cauliflower cheese and all the trimmings. We are never going back to any other potato method. Ever.

Oh — and we went to Hotel Chocolat. There may now be a one kilogram ostrich egg in the house. The chocolate ban is holding. Just about.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

Our Couch to 5K journey is going from strength to strength — eight pounds down, personal bests on the bike and Mr Almost is now smashing hit classes. We’ve been watching Danny Dyer’s Caravan Park on Sky One and we genuinely can’t believe how much we love it. The Isle of Sheppey has never looked so entertaining.

Our Tipple of the Week is Hawkstone Cider — yes, that one — straight from Jeremy Clarkson’s brewery in the Cotswolds. Highly recommend.

And for Almost Edible this week, we headed to the Cider Tap in Sussex for Mother’s Day lunch. Wobblegate cider on tap, handmade pizzas, a ginger cider that tasted exactly like Crabbie’s, a honey cider nobody liked, a tiramisu brownie that was absolutely not shared, and then the great British weather turned up uninvited on the way back to the car.

Easter egg tasting is coming. The chocolate ban continues. Just about.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

We’ve signed up for Race for Life and our Couch to 5K journey is really picking up pace — week four, eight minute runs and a personal best on the bike (with some very enthusiastic grunting along the way). We review the brilliant ITV four-part drama The Lady — the story of Jane Andrews, Sarah Ferguson’s royal dresser — and give it our verdict. Our daughter’s provisional driving licence is still proving elusive, and it’s all down to one thing: hair.

We headed out to Leith Hill in Surrey for a countryside walk — three miles, thick mud, a hole-in-the-wall café and a dog called Honey who did absolutely nothing useful.

And we’re launching a brand new segment — Almost Edible! This week we cheated slightly... dinner out with the boys at Wetherspoons. Curry, poppadoms, more poppadoms, and a lesson learned about saying yes without listening.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️

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