With selfless devotion to my readers, I have hunted out another highly addictive game on the web for you to play (oh okay, I confess, Dom sent me the link).

The game is Desktop Tower Defense and has a very simple premise that you have to stop the bad guys from reaching the other side of the screen. To help with this aim, you can purchase towers with varying properties and place them strategically on the map.

It’s fiendishly addictive.

The knack seems to be to force the little sods to take the longest route possible between the two points, but I still haven’t completed it on easy level.

Just… one… more… try…

It’s dawned on me that I haven’t reported on what’s personally happening in my life for a while now.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that my blogging frequency has reduced somewhat and I’ve mentioned a few bits and pieces of life stuff never to mention them again, so I’m due a quick round up for those who are interested, curious or just plain nosey.

Children

It’s currently the Easter holidays, the weather has got dramatically better and we seem to be spending most of our days outdoors at the moment.

I’ve surprised myself to find that I’m really enjoying this holiday and have ended up doing lots of kid focussed stuff rather than leaving them to their own devices with the occasional activity thrown in, as is my usual pattern.

We’ve been for long walks, gone to the playground and spent hours out the front of the house on bikes and playing with neighbourhood kids.

The latter activity causes some problems as Akra Jr is old enough to go out the front on his own these days, as long as he stays within sight of the house. Li’l Bhaji, however, not being 3 yet doesn’t really understand why his brother can go out and he can’t.

This involves me or Akra being on constant supervision duty – an odd feeling as both boys are mostly self-entertaining these days.

On the plus side, in the last week or so we’ve really got to know the neighbours and their kids well. We’re incredibly lucky to have such great neighbours and the boys are lucky to have such nice friends. Long may it continue.

House move

So far we’ve only had two viewers. We’re reassured that it’s not the price as estate agents have said that the number of people looking for our type of house are unusually low at the moment. Hopefully things should pick up after Easter as the weather improves.

The owners of the house we hope to buy are currently saying that they’re not going to put it on the market and will either sell to us or work out a way to stay in the neighbourhood which takes the pressure off. So we shall see what is meant to be.

I do adore their house though, so I’m hoping things will fall into place in the not too distant future – just trying not to get my hopes up too much.

Life design

A little while ago I mentioned that I hadn’t really been feeling myself of late – a bit low, a bit blue but no cause I could really put my finger on. Well I’m pleased to report that I’m now buzzing with the joys of spring and have lots of new projects under my sleeve.

The change is partly to do with the improved weather, partly due to some thinking I’ve been doing after a comment from my homoeopath made which got me thinking, but also mainly due to reading these two books in quick succession: The Renaissance Soul and What Do I Do When I Want To Do Everything?.

I have Sylvia to thank for them as she IM’d me the link thinking I’d find it interesting, then promptly told me off for instantly ordering them on Amazon. Sometimes you just can’t win!

Anyway, I’ve had some major revelations while reading. I’m not a flake, unable to stick at anything and constantly making worthless plans. I’m not a Jack-of-all-Trades master of none as I’d always thought.

I’m a scanner. I have many unconnected interests. I stick with them until I’ve got out of them just what I needed and then I’m on to the next thing. The process of learning and the excitement of new projects is what makes life sparkle for me.

None of these experiences are wasted. My life is not wasted.

I will never be a specialist, job-for-life type person. It would kill me. Trying to be like that and plan like that is what is depressing me and making me feel like a failure. So, I’m going to stop trying to be someone I’m not.

I have some fantastic, exciting projects lined up, some great longer term goals and I’m buzzing with expectation. It may take me longer to finish them as I’m not doing them sequentially, I may not ever finish them. But… what the hell.

I’m going to do them anyway.

… with excellent transport links.

It must be my week for receiving enticing and delicious packages in the mail.

However, on this one I had some forewarning. A couple of weeks ago, I was sent an email asking if I would like to be sent a free Hotel Chocolat Signature Egg, in return for reviewing it here on the Prattle.

I have to confess I did a slight double-take at the implication that I might actually refuse free chocolate, but soon recovered from my shock, got in contact and sorted out details.

For the sake of transparency, I should at this point out that I am not in anyway affiliated with Hotel Chocolat, I don’t get squazillions of chocolate if you all rush out and buy one (more’s the pity) and I’m completely free to say what ever I like in the course of this review.

I just got to eat lots of luxury chocolate to give you the inside scoop – but you know how it is, I’m always prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty on your behalf. With that cleared up, on with the review…

I’d heard of Hotel Chocolat before, associated the name with a luxury chocolate brand, but had never got around to trying any of their products. Even so, when I received the parcel I couldn’t help but be impressed. Right from the start, the packaging just screams quality and high-class chocolate (in a very understated and refined way, of course).

I’m usually bitterly disappointed with Easter Eggs; after all the excitement and hype, you spend ages taking off about 20 layers of packaging, find a tiny little egg inside with wafer thin chocolate and if you’re lucky a minuscule little bag of sweets inside. Not so with the Signature egg.

On removing from the cardboard outer, the egg is reassuringly solid and heavy.

The egg itself is two distinct halves – one side plain chocolate and the other milk. The shell is thick and makes a nice substantial “crack” as you break a slab of chocolate away from it. The plain side is tart, without having that residual bitter after taste you get in some dark chocolates. The milk side is rich, creamy and substantial. No disappointment in sight.

But the most impressive part of all is the filling. The egg is crammed with mini “egg” truffles. All potently alcoholic. I’d describe them all to you, but they are very rich and I have eaten only the amaretto one which was divine. I shall be eking them out over several days so I can fully appreciate them and not get chocolate fatigue.

The only downside (you knew there’d be one, didn’t you?) is that at £19 plus postage, this is not a cheap Easter Egg. However, unlike the cheap and tacky ones stacked to the ceiling in Tescos, this egg really feels like it’s worth every penny.

If your budget still can’t quite stretch, then you may be glad to know that Hotel Chocolat are currently running a competition to win one of 20 Easter Hampers with enough goodies to make even the most hardened chocoholic squeal with joy. Visit The Online Easter Egg Hunt for more details – but hurry, I think the competition ends tonight…