What to get for an expat's birthday

The past month or so was action-packed. 

I was in a car crash, the company I worked for went bankrupt, I got a (very exciting) new job, and I got older. 

I was also originally going to go back to the motherland this month, but decided a short while ago it wouldn't be feasible with everything else going on. 

But even if I can't go back to the UK, I can have the UK sent to me! That's what friends and family will do for an expat's birthday. Here are some goodies that were sent to me by my loved ones…

Remember how I said I wished that The Great British Bake Off would be shown on US television? Well, this book will hopefully improve my terrible baking, plus it's got some of that cheeky innuendo found in the show. I'm still waiting anxiously for the US version, just to see how it'll compare.

And talking of baking: This cute bracelet is a real charm. Not only does the tartan remind me of home, it's made of BISCUIT TINS! It is, in a word, sweet. 

I also promise there will be more biscuits involved in future FOOD FIGHT posts.

This is a paper sheep.

I don't see too many of those any more, which is a shame, because naughty spring lambs springing through fields is a jaunty sight. 

And yes, that's a Marks and Spencer bag at the bottom. What would an expat do without her regular Marks and Sparks care packages? 

And the final thing is a gift from one of my girls, this fabulous Marmite t-shirt. You'll either love it or you'll hate it, and you can't get much more patriotic than a British condiment that makes Americans physically recoil.

All in all, I'm very grateful for my UK themed birthday pieces!

Note: I don't do affiliate advertising, so all of this stuff was really sent to me by friends and family, and I'm just showing it off because it's oh-so-British and I love it.

If you have popped over from Betsy's blog: Hello! I hope you stick around. Sit down, I'll make you a cup of tea. Tell me all about yourself. Do you like Marmite, or do you prefer PBJ?

If you haven't popped over from Betsy's blog, then I have a guest post over there all about emigrating from the land of Marmite to the land of PBJ. You should pop over and have a looksie.