Well who knew there was even such a thing as national slime day? I certainly didn't but it seems fitting for this year as my girls love to make slime and there is always a collection of tubs of the gooey stuff on our side.
When I asked the girls if they wanted to have a play with Glam Goo for National Slime Day they were thrilled and said yes straight away, as we make tons of white and coloured slime but good clear slime is a much harder make and that is what comes with the Glam Goo Deluxe pack. The RRP is £22.99 but to be honest it seemed to mostly be selling for £29.99 at well-known toy stores such as Argos and Smyths Toys.
In the Deluxe pack you get the clear Glam Goo in a pink storage case, 3 sprinkles, 2 colour pigments, a scent and of course the glamorous slime storage handbag and ring. The girls love it that you can mix and match all the sparkles and colours to make lots of different small batches of slime and as you can see in the handbag below, they really are very pretty.
The bag has a pink cover that goes inside it to ensure it stays air-tight and the slime lasts. We have had ours made for a couple of weeks now and I find you have to play with it to warm up the slime a little but it then still has good stretch. If you try to do it too quick, it does snap a bit.
My girls have done a full vlog review of the Glam Goo Deluxe Pack. Why don't you take a look at their video and see how they got on?
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And if you fancy making your own slime then do head over to YouTube and have a look at our Easy Homemade Slime playlist. Disclosure: We received 2 packs of Glam Goo for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.
It's time for our weekly dose of cheerfulness and I am feeling a lot more like myself than I did last week. Sadly my lovely aunt passed away, so I'll be heading to her funeral on Tuesday but I'm so thankful she is no longer in loads of pain.
Here's my week of cheer -
Thursday - I had a good session with the little boy I coach through the charity TLG. Then in the evening I headed to Tesco whilst my girls were at Guides and I got a new coat for the Spring. It is raspberry coloured and I love it.
Friday - We headed out for a meal for my friend Annie's birthday and the food was exquisite. I had a chicken breast stuffed with spiced lamb and spinach and coated in a mild curry sauce with pomegranate seeds, sultanas and sunflower seeds.
Happy Mothering Sunday Friends. I wish every woman out there an amazing day, be she a mother herself or a mother figure. This day isn't only to be celebrated and enjoyed by those who have given birth it is also for those who selflessly offer their heart and soul loving others in the way a mother often does.
This is the 16th Mothering Sunday that I have celebrated. Of course JJ isn't actually that old yet but my hubby bought a card from the bump (AKA JJ) back in March 2003, seven months before he was even born. I remember being so thrilled to receive that first card and some flowers (if I remember rightly) as it was the start of my maternal journey, having thought previous to this that I might never have children.
I do remember feeling very special when I was pregnant but I had quite a lot of sickness for the first few months and I just looked extra fat rather than glowing with a perky bump. I did then get about four good months with JJ just before he was born but then stupidly I decided it would be great to have him in September rather than October, as was his due date. So I cleared and cleaned the house and then started to gut the garage. I remember I worked like a Trojan and it was very satisfying, well up to the point when I saw my midwife that afternoon and she started to worry about high blood pressure, excessive oedema in my ankles and belly, and protein in my urine.
Yes, it turns out I had pre-eclampsia. I've no idea if all my 'nesting' added to my getting this condition but it surely didn't help it and I was taken off to the hospital that evening for monitoring and a scan. It was decided that they wouldn't let me go too much over my due date and thus I was booked in for an induction on 3rd October 2003 when I would be 40+2 weeks.
Whilst my induction with JJ was a bit of a debacle and took me quite some time to emotionally recover from, I am still enormously grateful that we have the NHS in this country and that when JJ's heart rate kept decelerating, I could have the C-section without any delay. Then when the spinal blocks and epidural didn't work, there was an anaesthetist on hand who was able to give me a general straight away. Luckily JJ was fine and he hadn't swallowed any meconium as was feared and over the next few weeks I healed too.
Isn't it good to break out from the norm sometimes? During half-term we grabbed my husband out of work early on the Friday afternoon and dropped JJ off so he could go away for an adventure weekend with our church. Then the rest of us headed down to my favourite local seaside town, Bexhill-on-Sea for some fresh air and exercise.
I love the ice fountain but am happy it is now about 10 degrees warmer and has running water again
It's been a funny old week. I've had moments of elation and others of almost despair. However nothing is massively wrong with me, so please don't worry but I think the news that one of my aunts is terminally ill is having a real impact on me. She is the most lovely woman and I only found her about twenty years ago and haven't even seen her that much but I just knew she was there and we spent a lovely couple of days together last year when she came to stay. I'm really hoping I can organise to get up to see her very soon. Whilst prayer is great, it isn't quite the same as seeing her in the flesh.
Anyway, this is supposed to be a cheery post, so I'm going for some quick-fire reasons to be cheerful:
1. I love streaming TV. I know it may sound a naff reason but the US box sets do make me so cheerful. I'm particularity loving Netflix right now, we just started to watch Quantico. Everything sucks was an easy watch and I'm getting into Riverdale too.
2. I've got some new paid work doing social media for the conference centre where I live. It's only short-term initially but it is something I used to do on a voluntary basis a couple of years back and I really enjoyed it, so I'm glad to get back to it and be rewarded for it too.
Have you heard of Molly Brown London? I hadn't until last week but now I am so glad that I have. Molly Brown London is a British high-end children's jewellery brand established in 2006 and upon its launch it was dubbed ‘Tiffany for girls’ by VOGUE Magazine. I can certainly see why, just look at their packaging, if you changed the beautiful pink and chocolate brown packaging to robin egg blue it could easily be mistaken for the iconic brand. No wonder it is widely accepted as some of the best in the business.
The founder Erica Illingworth believes that “A love of jewellery can be inspired at any age and hopefully indulged for a lifetime.” My girls really did feel very special from the moment they took their individual Molly Brown London bag out of the delivery box.
A piece of Molly Brown London jewellery might be the first taste of luxury that your little girl has experienced and what a wonderful introduction to the finer things in life. Don't think that it has to be super expensive though as the price for a beautiful necklace starts from as little as £30 and actually at the moment they have some amazing sale items for just £12, I'm definitely going to be picking up some gifts.
Not so long ago you were preparing for the arrival of your
little bundle of joy. You were setting up the nursery, getting hold of all
sorts of paraphernalia - bibs, baby grows, toys and soothers, and eagerly
awaiting for the initial pangs of labour to kick in. Your other half had got
the hospital bag, you were eating spicy food to try and kick-start your baby's
entry into the world, and you couldn't wait to start your new life as a family of
three. Fast forward twelve months and you’ve had a year off with your little
one and you’re relishing the joys of mummy hood, but the time has come to go
back to work. Perhaps this terrifies you? You don’t know if you can leave your
little darling in the hands of a stranger, albeit a well-qualified
professional, and you panic that going back to the world of employment will
make you a bad mother.
Hang on - Take a step back and assess your situation. Maybe going back to work
is a positive step. You will have the chance to reconnect with colleagues and
friends, and you’ll have the chance to be professionally fulfilled once again.
You won’t have to spend twenty-four hours a day speaking baby babble, and you
can have an adult conversation. You’ll be able to challenge yourself and
continue your professional development. While you may ache to return to work,
you may also fear the pangs of missing your precious offspring. This is normal
and shows just how much you unconditionally love your child. However, heading
back to work will never make you a bad mum.
Part Time Or Full Time
If venturing back into the throes of full-time work leaves
you reaching for a brown paper bag and developing heart palpitations, you need
to reconsider how much time you can dedicate to your job. Returning to work
full time will result in a greater financial contribution to the family home,
but it could also mean a higher childcare bill and less time spent with your
toddler during his or her formative years. If you can afford it, consider
heading back to work part-time
or enquire about working from home more often. Many employers are now welcoming
the concept of flexible working with open arms. They appreciate that a happy
employee is a productive employee, so by proving your worth when working from
the comfort of your own sofa, you could find the perfect balance between your
work life and mummy hood.
Happy Thursday #R2BC friends, sorry I haven't been around for a couple of weeks. I really need to get myself a bit more organised when it isn't my turn to host as I find that I forget to schedule in the time for my Reasons to be Cheerful post and then get lost in paid work and other commitments. I really am trying not to spend too much time blogging but still make enough money to cover some niceties like weekends away and days out.
It's been a good week for me generally. I wouldn't say I've been the most productive work wise but so what, that's not everything, right?
A New Gym
I've joined a new gym and had my induction. It's a great little place and I'm going there twice a week whilst the girls are at trampolining club and Guides. I love the idea that it fits in with lifts I need to do anyway, it feeds into my need for efficiency! lol
Few words are likely to fill a lot of people will more frustration and misery than that word "diet". Sure, most people are totally on board with the idea of adopting a healthier lifestyle, but the truth is that there's a big difference between doing that and going on a diet. Of course, a lot of diets can be great. They can allow you to improve your health, look the way that you want, and increase your self-confidence. However, that only happens if you can actually stick to it. A lot of people will tell you that all you really need in order make a diet work is to stick to it, but that might well be the very definition of the phrase "easier said than done" Being able to stick to a diet can be a serious challenge for a whole host of reasons. Luckily, whether it feels like it or not, a lot of those challenges are within your control. With that in mind, here are some ways that you can really make your diet stick!
Set clear goals
One of the most common mistakes that a lot of people make when it comes to starting any kind of diet is that they try to jump in without really thinking about the kinds of results that they want. Things like "lose some weight" or "be healthier" are great as motivators to start a diet, but when it comes to actually trying to stick to something, you need goals that are a little more specific and clear. Figure out exactly how much weight you want to lose and try to figure out how long that will realistically take. Not only should your goals be clear and specific, but they should be something that you can actually achieve. The last thing you want is to end up getting discouraged because you haven't reached some kind of overly ambitious goal that you were never going to achieve in the first place. By having goals that you can aim for and can tick off your progress over time, you're going to find it much easier to stay motivated, even when things get difficult.
Hip, hip hooray Spring is finally arriving. There are
gorgeous yellow daffodils all over my house, the sun has been out more days
than not this week and Easter is only five weeks away. Spring is my favourite
season of the year, the days get longer, it’s sunny without being too hot and I
just adore seeing the cherry blossom everywhere.
It, therefore, seems perfect to share this round-up of Spring
and Easter inspiration from loads of amazing bloggers. Read on....
Crafts
1. Fancy some fun with Easter
crafts with the kids, then Cat has nine great ones for you, including chick bookmark
corners and paper bunny ornaments.
These amazing rocks were painted by the super talented Helen at The Crafty Norman, our local craft shop
In the middle of last year, I read a post over on The Holy Mess about Kindness Rocks. I loved the idea and saved the link, thinking that at some point I'd write a post about it and maybe do something similar where we live and then I forgot all about it, until last week when I saw a friend post on her FB timeline that her daughter had been rock hunting in our home town, here in East Sussex.
It turns out that Kindness Rocks and rock hunting, in general, have become big news over the last year. It looks like the initiative started in the USA but I could also find early evidence in Australia too. But no matter where it started, it is wonderful fun and a really positive initiative that I wanted to be involved with.
Basically, it is a pay it forward project where you paint a rock with a positive picture or phrase, such as breath, be kind, you matter, be brave, laugh often etc and then you hide it in your local area for others to find. When they find the rock there's a message on the back asking them to share a picture on the local FB page so others can see what has been found and so the creator can enjoy the joy of it being found.
These are all rocks we have found in our local town Battle
They can then either re-hide the rock for someone else to enjoy or take it home and ideally put one into the project themselves, paying the kindness forward.
"One message at just the right time can change your entire day... outlook... life!" Megan Murphy, founder of The Kindness Rocks Project
If you put #Kindnessrocks or #TheKindnessRocksProject into Instagram or a search engine you'll find loads of information and so many amazing pictures and tutorials for painting stones. But it is super simple to be honest.
Making your own Kindness Rock
1. Find a good rock to use. If you don't have any in your local area then please buy some from a home store or on Amazon. Don't take from another persons garden or such.
2. Ensure your rock is clean and dry.
3. Paint on it or draw with something like sharpies. There needs to be a good strong colour, so it will last.
4. Put a message on the back so that the finder knows what to do with the rock. You can write on the rock but as I don't have great handwriting, I have printed out small labels to stick on the back. (They say - This is a #Battlerock, please take a photo and share it in the Battle Rocks FB group, then re-hid this stone, thanks.)
5. Varnish the rock on both sides so it is weatherproof. I use DecoArt DuraClear varnish and a small tub goes a very long way.
Search on FB for the name of your town and then Rocks, so my group is Battle Rocks and if there is one there, great you can join and get straight on and hide your rock. If not you might have to be the pioneer and start the group and drop a few rocks and see if it will catch on in your area and people will join in.
You need to be respectful as to where you put your rock as they should not be a nuisance.
Don't put in the grass as they will damage lawnmowers
Don't put one too far into a large flower bed as you don't want people to have to tread on the bed to get it
Make sure it is not a trip hazard wherever you leave it
Make sure they are just in public areas, you don't want to encourage people onto private property
Now go rock hunting! We hope you enjoy it. Our best day has seen 14 rocks found so far and we took one home as my daughter loved it and we re-hid all the others for more people to enjoy. We are currently making some new rocks to put out so we can pass on the kindness too.
If you or your kids enjoy making slime and you need recipes that use ingredients readily available in the UK then you are in the right place as my kids adore making slime and we have loads of tutorials over on Youtube.
Great, stretchy slime is not difficult to make and all you need are some basic ingredients - PVA glue (the white stuff is far easier to use than clear which tends to be much more runny), bicarbonate of soda and something to activate it. I use contact lens solution, saline solution or eye wash (but it must contain boric acid, so check the ingredients). You can also use Lidl Foril washing detergent, Aldi Almat washing detergent or Kershaws washing starch, all readily available in the UK and not too expensive.
You can then add in all sorts of fun things to make different kinds of slime if that is your bag. Shaving foam is a great addition as that makes your slime all fluffy and of course different colours can be added via food colouring or paint. Then you have glitter, sequins, foam balls, beads, bands, gems, instant snow and anything else you fancy really!
Check out my YouTube channel - Michelle Twin Mum if you want to see all our slime tutorials. Glow in the Dark Slime - Made by miss E using ingredients from Hobbycraft.
Are you one of those people who get a bit excited when they
discover something fantastic? Do you find yourself waxing lyrical about your
discovery or the
amazing service you’ve received and by the end of the week every one of
your friends knows?
That’s me, I just can’t help it. When I make a discovery
about something fabulous, be it a bargain bath bomb that smells divine, the AA
man (or our
angel in yellow as I dubbed him) who rescues your family or an
airline that makes sure everything is perfect I just have to shout about
it, both via my blog and in real life too.
I don’t want any of my friends to miss out and this is how I
feel about Simpson Travel. Despite not yet having travelled with them I feel
fully confident that they are the kind of company who will fulfil and even
exceed every one of my expectations.
“The road less travelled is about making an effort and going
the extra mile” Graham Simpson, Chairman of Simpson Travel
And I have lots of them. It was only two years ago that we
first travelled abroad with the children. Prior to having them my husband and I
travelled extensively and we loved staying in a gorgeous villa in an exotic Mediterranean
destination but then along came three (expensive) children so we stayed in the
UK and of course if the kids were having fun then so were we. However once you’ve
experienced that glorious sunshine, the deep blue sea, the friendly locals in a
Greek taverna and all that amazing fresh food you can never keep that longing
at bay for too long.
We are now well in to February and
my year has started off well. January was all about having my operation for menorrhagia
and then healing from that and now I feel like life can really take-off. I no
longer have a lack of energy, nor am I anaemic. 2018 is a year that I plan to believe more in
myself and in God’s great plans for me, I wrote about it at the beginning of the year and posted my first
update last week. The area of my life that I really need to get a grip on
is my health and specifically my weight, which sadly, is affecting my health
and not in a good way.
However, I am feeling very positive
and I am going to take lots of little steps that all add up and will make a
difference. If I’m honest many of these steps (or changes) are things I have
committed to before and then they’ve not happened or I’ve let them slip but I’m
not going to let that stop me. I have to believe that mentally I am now in the
right place and that since I have been freed from my terrible (and constant)
bleeding that things in my life can change for the better.
The fear of failure must no longer
stop me. I’ve been reading a book recently (yet another one) called ‘The Year
of Saying Yes’ by Helen Doyle and it is just a fiction book. A great story about
a woman called Isobel who changes her life by saying yes to a series of monthly
dares and it has been so helpful to me. I have come to realise that often I say
no or I am passive in my actions because I am scared it won’t all work out.
What the book has made me realise is that it is better to try, better to take
one step, better to do it imperfectly, than not at all.
It felt like a God-moment when Boots
recently got in touch and asked if I’d like to take part in their
#BootsLittleBoosts campaign as this is all about how I am boosting my health
and wellness routine for this New Year. They want to know how I’m going to shake
off the excess of the winter festivities and to embrace the year ahead with new
vigour. It fits in perfectly with my new ‘Believe’ philosophy.
So here goes, I know that Little
Steps = Big Changes if I’m consistent and I’m going to set my focus in four key
areas -
At the beginning of the year I decided on the word 'Believe' as my guiding word for the year. The aim is that when I am stuck and not sure what I am doing or where I am going I need to believe that I'm on the right path, that God has got my back and that I can do this (whatever this may be).
January generally has been a really good month, I have been very gentle with myself and my expectations of what I'd achieve have been low, so there has been plenty of downtime to think, pray and read. It's amazing with all that time to ponder I have been thinking about work and what I want from life and I feel like I have some clarity.
Work and Volunteering
I've made the decision to finish another one of my voluntary roles at Easter and this will free up time to either find paid work or do other voluntary work that better meets my needs and skills. I've realised that I don't enjoy directly working with kids and I am much better in a HR, training, coaching or organisational role. I don't want to settle for something that doesn't set my heart on fire any more.
I met with the Volunteer Co-ordinator of the local Children's Centre and I am going along at the end of February for a course and hopefully afterwards there will be some volunteering opportunities that I am really interested in, things like running parenting courses or supporting new parents. I'm also keeping my eyes open for paid jobs but I have quite specific requirements as I can't see the point of working for really low pay in the wrong kind of role when I can earn decent money writing.
My Health
I had the operation I've been waiting for and I believe it has been a success. I felt like I was in limbo before it, just waiting to feel better and to have some energy again. I'm now a couple of weeks after my operation and life feels different. I really do feel invigorated again and I'm looking forward to it being at least a month after so I can see what my future cycles might be like.
My custom-made orthotic insoles arrived and they are fairly comfortable, although I had conflicting advise from the Podiatrist I saw this time as he felt I didn't need them and I just had to work on my stretching to loosen my calf and ankle muscles. He felt if three months of intensive stretching every day doesn't work then I will need an operation to lengthen the muscles. I am however believing that if I am consistent in my stretching that an operation will not be necessary.
I started to read a very good book called Believing God by Beth Moore, I found it hard to get in to at first but then it started to become more practical and spoke to me. So I am wearing a blue ribbon round my wrist for the next six months as a gentle reminder to make choices that are kind to me. I'm also trying to journal daily about where I have seen God working.
Losing Weight
Monday I have started to take Orlistat, which are fat blockers prescribed by the doctor, they are to aid my weight loss but are not for one minute an easy option. I need to be incredibly careful what I am eating whilst taking them or I could have very violent reactions, which would not be fun. I also have an induction at a new gym (right close to my house) on 22nd February and then I'll be exercising there twice a week on a Tuesday and Thursday evening whilst my girls are at clubs.
So for February I am believing -
That my TCRE operation worked and I'll now have normal bleeding for the future
That if I consistently keep stretching my leg issues and foot pains will go away
That the right work for my skills will come along and I have to believe in God's incredible timing and not take things into my own hands (and get it wrong no doubt)
That I will lose weight by eating sensibly and exercising regularly
I'm linking this post up with Becky at Lakes Single Mum for this weeks Reasons to be Cheerful linky.
We'd all like to start
the New Year with no debt, and no cash worries to speak of. Unfortunately, for
most of us, that simply isn't a possibility. Though it would be nice to start the
new year with no interest fees to worry about, if you can't pay off your debt
just in time for Christmas, that doesn't mean that you can't start 2018 in a
better financial situation than you were in the year before.
Debt consolidation
could be the ultimate way to bring some structure into your payments, reducing
the amount of interest you need to pay over time, and potentially keeping your
stress levels to a minimum too.
Here, we're going to look at just some of the reasons why a debt consolidation loan could be a great
way to start the New Year!
It Moves All your Loans into a Single Payment
Paying off debt can be
a serious headache, particularly when you've got money owned to various lenders, in countless different
places. A debt consolidation loan simply involves using a personal loan to pay
off all the other accounts that you might have taken out with other providers.
This means that you can instantly get rid of all the credit cards and overdrawn
bank accounts that have been haunting you over the last few years. With a debt
consolidation loan, instead of having to worry about multiple payment deadlines
and other issues, you can simply make a single payment once a month towards
your debt. This should allow you to focus entirely on that singular debt so that you can pay it off much faster.
Instead of wondering which account you need to pay off first, you can also
ensure that you're making a dent in all the money you owe each month too. It Keeps Your Stress to a Minimum
Who doesn't want to
live a happier, more stress-free life? Debt consolidation can help you to
accomplish that goal because you no longer must worry about keeping track of
multiple accounts at once. When you've got multiple debts in various places it
can feel far more overwhelming than having a single owed balance - even when
the amount you owe is the same either way.
Consolidating your
debts can help you to feel as though you have more control over your finances,
and it also cuts down on the number of frustrating letters you get through the
door each month reminding you of how much you owe. You Could Benefit from a Lower Interest Rate Perhaps the top
benefit of debt consolidation is that it allows you to stop falling victim to
the high-interest rates of credit cards
and badly-chosen loans. Depending on your credit score, you might find that you
can choose a personal loan with a much lower APR, bringing the amount you need
to pay back to an absolute minimum. A lot of people don't realise that a maxed-out credit card can cost
them a lot more in the long-run than a personal loan. You can use sites like Readies.co.uk to see specifically how different loan types
compare with regards to annual interest rates. At the same time,
because personal loans can be quite flexible in the right circumstances, you
might also be able to spread your payments out over a longer period too. This
means that you don't have to spend as much of your monthly wages on paying off
your debt. Although reducing the amount you pay each month will mean that you
do stay in debt for longer, this can be an easier way for some people to manage
their money, particularly when you're struggling with other expenses like
rents, mortgages, or utility bills. You Might Improve Your Credit Score Finally, when you're
constantly making late payments on your accounts because you can't keep track
of all the money you owe, your credit score takes a serious beating. This means
that even if you do end up paying back everything you owe, you might struggle
to convince lenders that they should let you borrow from them in the future. A
consolidated loan can make it easier for you to pay back the money you owe on time so that you can begin to build your credit. Of course, the key to
success with a consolidated loan in 2018 is making sure that you choose a
structure that works for you. Ensure that you don't sign up for any loans that
you can't afford to pay off on time, and make sure that you read all the fine
print before you agree to any terms.
I've lived in East Sussex for coming on five years now and The Lamb Inn at Hooe, or Pevensey Marsh as they call it is a pub that I've heard a lot about. When I've asked the question 'where is good to eat locally?' I've had the The Lamb Inn recommended quite a number of times before and as such I have no idea why I have never been there.
My husband has been there before for a leaving do and he said it was great too and it was with this in mind that I said a very quick yes when I was asked to come and try out the new menus and check out the pub after a recent refurbishment. The Lamb Inn is part of the Vintage Inns chain, which I knew from when we lived in Herts and used to frequent a couple of their pub restaurants there.
Our family (minus JJ as he was working) headed over to the Lamb Inn for Saturday lunch. Despite it being a very miserable and grey February day the building is still beautiful and you can tell parts of it date back to 1084, where it got a mention in the Doomsday book as a shepherds cottage. Then in 1520 the cottage became an inn and there was a charter decreed to allow shepherds to bring their sick lambs in to warm by the fire. My girls were enthralled to learn this little piece of history about where we were to eat our lunch.
Feeling Welcomed
As soon as we entered the building we were greeted by a lady serving behind the bar. It was good to get such prompt attention as she was already busy with a customer but it gave an indication that customer satisfaction is important to the staff at the lamb Inn. Within just a couple of minutes Sarah came over to greet us and show us to our table and she was our waitress for the whole meal and what a great one she was. I'd definitely employ her.
I think they have done a really great job refurbishing the pub, it looks clean, well appointed and is very comfortable. There is nothing stark or corporate about it, it has a very homely feel with each table being a little different and the chairs being mismatched but equally comfy. There are two distinct sections to the pub with the area to the left of the bar being much more light and open plan and the part we went in to was full of character with lower ceiling beams and plenty of cosy nooks.
Earlier this week I enjoyed a leisure day at The Grand Hotel Spa in Eastbourne with my friend Annie. I had some spa vouchers to
use and it seemed a good idea to gift Annie half as her Christmas present. I
choose the Grand Hotel as it isn't far from our homes and as it
is a 5 star hotel I expected the spa to be pretty luxurious and it certainly
looked good in the photos on the website.
We arrived to the hotel about half an hour
before I had booked our treatment times and our first struggle was finding some
free parking. The streets round the hotel generally have free on-street parking
but it was super busy. You can park in the grounds of the Grand but that's £25
a day and you pay to park on the seafront as well. Luckily just as I was about
to give in and pay we found a space close by and headed in to the hotel. We
were greeted by a lovely jolly doorman who gave us instructions were to go. Let the fun commence!
The first impression of the hotel is fabulous,
it's not called the Grand for nothing but as we headed in the lift to the
basement the view gets consistently more grotty. Old carpet, plain cream walls
and not a touch of glamour in the corridors or reception areas. Thankfully the
staff were in total contrast to the look of the area and they were great.
Really friendly, super professional and nothing was too much trouble for them.
I was keen to write this post as there seems to
be very little information on the web about women’s personal experience of
having a TCRE. Many, many women suffer in silence with heavy periods and I want
to share my positive experience of having a simple day operation that can make
the world of difference to your every day life.
A Brief
History
I shared in a post a few months ago about how
I've suffered with terrible heavy, frequent and painful periods for around a
decade now. I honestly cannot tell you why I put up with it for so long, I
think it had simply become a part of my life and I'd learnt to live with it. It
was only when I was on holiday in May last year and my awful bleeding stopped
me enjoying the pool every day with my girls that I realised something had to
be done.
I have the most wonderful GP and she sent me off
to see the gynae specialist nurse at the Conquest hospital (Hastings, East
Sussex) as thankfully she knew I had been suffering for quite some time, having
been prescribed Tranexamic Acid and Mefenamic Acid for a few years, as well as
having scans for an embedded coil, missing strings and cysts. I was given a
hysteroscopy and straight away the specialist nurse could see there were
problems and referred me for an ablation of the endometrium.
I was led to believe this would be done by a
simple balloon being inflated in me and radio waves passing through to burn off
the excess lining of my womb. This is apparently a really simple procedure that
the nurse can do, however she told me as my womb was quite enlarged (she didn't
think it had ever fully shrunk back after having my twins) that it would be
better to be done by one of the consultants with a general anaesthetic.
Meeting
my Consultant
When I met the consultant he reviewed my notes
and said he didn't feel I was suitable for the ablation due to the size of my uterus,
the thickness of my endometrium and also the presence of fibroids. He felt it
would be better to do my surgery the old fashioned way, which would mean him
using a hysteroscope to see what needed to be taken away and then burning it
away accordingly.
He told me I was very overweight and this could
make the surgery more complex and he went through the risk factors with the
surgery and what could go wrong, telling me I had a 70-80% success rate for the
surgery. With those odds, I was happy to progress as I just needed some respite
from the constant heavy bleeding.
I've so wanted to write a 'meh' post this week. It's just the way I've felt, there is nothing majorly wrong but I've felt out of salts. I don't know if it has been part of recovering from my operation last week, or if it is my time of month or maybe because I'm getting a cold and feel a bit yucky.
It's just been one of those weeks, anything I've seen in the news, anything that has gone on with friends, little things that haven't gone to plan and any aches and pains I've felt have all just made me sad and grumpy. I wanted to write a 'life feels bleuugghh' post as there is so much talk of bloggers just presenting the best parts of their lives, of showing that everything is rosy and of course that's not real life. Well not for most of us anyway.
However, I've resisted that urge to write a big fat explosion of my grumps as I don't think it will help and it will make for pretty crap reading. So now I'm going to use Reasons to be Cheerful for the very reason I first started it back in 2011 and that is to look for the bright side. In amongst the stupid and annoying things that have made me grumpy this week there has of course been silver linings and here are a few of those blessings.
What a show! I went into 42nd Street having no
idea what it was about but assuming that because it was running at a big
prestigious theatre like the Theatre Royal Drury Lane it must be a good show
and yep, it really was! I'll start by saying, if you're in a hurry you don't
even need to read anymore, just go and see it. You won't be disappointed and
contrary to what you might believe it's not just for women. My husband loved it
too. If you're a fan of musical theatre then it is for you.
From the start this show is spectacular and it's
not just one thing that marks it out as exceptional. There's a large cast and a
lot of variety. The singing is superb, the dancing is amazing, there are
beautiful glittery costumes and the scenery will blow you away.
I don't think it has the strongest story line
out of the many shows I've seen but the story felt secondary to the glamour and
glitz of the production and that was OK. The show opens with us seeing the
chorus line being cast for a new big-money show called Pretty Lady, that will
open in Atlanta. The show is being bank-rolled by a rich businessman and for
his investment he expects his mistress Dorothy Brock to be cast in the lead
role. This frustrates the esteemed director Julian Marsh but he goes with it
through no other choice. Dorothy Brock is doing a great job with the singing
and the dancers keep her dancing inabilities well hidden but then the new girl
from out of town, Peggy Sawyer trips her up accidentally and Dorothy ends up
with a broken ankle. No more lead role for Dorothy!
Belize, it might not be a destination you are too familiar with but after spending a few hours trawling the web, reading about it, watching videos and drinking in its beauty I can safely say I want to visit this small Central-American nation.
In fact I now have big future plans for a second-honeymoon trip for my husband and I, and there are certainly some vacation rentals in Belize that would make our time there super special. The amazing Belize coastline is just 630KM along the Caribbean coastline from Cancun and Playa del Carmen in Mexico. So you can be assured of a stunning white or golden sand beach if this is what you are looking for.
Belize is rich in culture too and shouldn't just be mistaken for a place to visit and sunbath. Yes, you can do that if you so desire and you'll find luxury rental properties and hotels that are unique and outstanding. Whether you fancy being on a private island, staying out on the sea on a stilted property or having a private infinity pool, these are all possible in Belize.
1. Explore the Maya Culture
The Maya occupation of Belize began as early as 1500BC and during the classic period, between 250AD - 900AD it was thought the Maya population was as high as 1 million people. Compare that to the current population of around 378,000 and it must have been very busy. There are many temples and ancient ruins that you can visit whilst in Belize, including Caracol, which is one of the most grand. A lot of mystery still surrounds this ancient civilisation, making this is a really interesting place to explore.
I had to write this and get it scheduled on Tuesday as Wednesday at 7.30am I went to the hospital for my scheduled operation and who knows what time they would get around to doing it, so the last thing I needed was to be worrying about getting my R2BC post out.
Hopefully if you are reading this Thursday morning (or after) I am lying in bed recovering from the operation and the general anaesthetic that came with it. I'm secretly really looking forward to Thursday and Friday being down days where I just read, watch TV and get waited on!
On the one hand I was nervous for the operation as they always scare you when you meet the consultant in advance and they tell you what could go wrong but I have put my faith in God and know that whatever happens will come to good.
I'm so thankful that we have our NHS in the UK. Of course it isn't perfect and in some areas it is better than others but I've been lucky and had great service from the Conquest hospital and especially my GP surgery. I really can't praise my local GP's enough, they have fit me in at short notice and gone out of their way to make sure my operation can go ahead.
It's funny how things change over time. When I was a teenager if anyone had said to me I needed orthotic insoles in my shoes I'd have probably cried and told them no way, they are just for old ladies! Nowadays things are changing, research shows that the orthotic insole market will reach around 3.5 billion dollars by the year 2020. With the increase of diabetes, arthritis and obesity more and more people are seeing their podiatrists and finding that an orthotic insole would help to alleviate some of their problems.
At the age of 44 years I am one of those people. I have been suffering with pain and various foot issues for quite a few years now and some of it I thought was bad luck (verrucas) and others I put down my being overweight. When I first saw a private podiatrist back in 2014 he treated my verrucas and tidied my feet up and I was very happy when the verruca went but the pain didn't so I headed back to see him again.
It was at this point he gave me a visual bio-mechanical assessment and declared I have short calf muscles and these are throwing my body alignment out of sync. As we talked and I told him of having been a tip-toe walker as a child, always having my feet positioned at ten-to-two and the amount of ankle sprains I have had in my life, he said it all made sense and could be the cause of my early-onset arthritis of the knees, the pain in the ball of my feet and my tight and uncomfortable calf muscles.
To cut a long story short, I was lucky enough to be able to be referred to an NHS podiatrist (as I am bio-mechanically incorrect) and have been seen over the last couple of years. I'm stretching every day (in all sorts of ways), I've had an MRI to rule out a Mortons Neuroma and if things haven't improved with my continuing stretching and the use of my orthotic insoles I'll be referred for calf lengthening surgery in a few months.
As I sat in my lounge yesterday doing a couple of bits on the laptop I could hear JJ singing to himself in his bedroom and it occurred to me that it is the small things like this that make my heart sing. It doesn't have to be big trips out or spending lots of money, it really is the simple things, the ones you could blink and miss.
* Like snuggling on the sofa with both my girls New Years Eve and seeing the year in with them as we watched the amazing film - Hidden Figures.
* Sitting in the prayer centre, enjoying the warm of the radiator with my feet curled under me as I did some bible reading and colouring
* Cuddling up with Miss M for two nights in my big bed whilst my husband has been away
* Finding 4 pairs of knickers in the M&S sale that were my size and just £1.99 each. I normally pay £6 each.
* Enjoying a cup of tea with my friend Annie as we chat away and put the world to rights
* Getting my orthotics for my shoes, which I pray will make a difference to my leg and foot pain
I was at a digital conference at the beginning of November and one of the streams was for anyone interested in young people and all things digital. It was a Christian conference so there were pastors, youth and children workers and parents like me. I went to a few different seminars and there were quite a few things that really spoke to me and I have pondering and praying on them since.
On the whole I think all the new technological advances have been a good thing and they add a whole new dimension to our world today but I'm not blind. I see how my 14 year old son gets sucked in to gaming on his computer and not wanting to come off and I'm super aware that one of my 10 year old's is already starting to judge herself by what she sees online. Those sorts of things are pretty scary.
You have to be a really intentional and involved parent to ensure that your kids are maintaining balance and not losing their grip on reality and it takes a lot of time and effort if I'm honest.
Look at this slide that was shared in one of the seminars -
How was the festive period for you? I hope there was at least some times of joy and rest.
In general we've had a good Christmas and new year break, the kids have gone back to school today and I'm ready for routine and normality to resume. Today I'm blitzing the house and getting it all clean and back in order. I'm not particularly good when there is mess and chaos, so this is my kind of day! Yep I know, I'm pretty sad but it takes all sorts, right?
Reasons to be Cheerful is back with me for January and this week I'm sharing some photos of happy moments in December as I didn't manage to get an #R2BC post live at all. I am pleased to say I had loads of time away from blogging though and that was ace!
Miss E made me an advent tub and in it where around 100 little affirmations of how much she loves me. It is something I'll treasure forever.
And there is the little poppet in her new bobble hat!
Out of all the Christmas lights in Brighton on Boxing Day
this was the only one I wanted to take a photo of, I now know why!
I really love the idea of having a word for the year that guides you and keeps you focused on what you want to achieve. I've shared many times that I don't like resolutions as for me, they just end up dragging me down when I break them. I think having a focus word is a lot kinder and I am able to not beat myself up when I don't meet my own expectation of perfection, which of course is often.
Last years guiding word was Trust. I needed to trust more in the Lord and in myself that I could make changes and achieve the things I needed to. When I look back over the last year if I am using my critical eyes I'd say that nothing has changed, that I'm still in the same place as I was a year ago and most of that unloving assessment would come from the fact that I am still very overweight.
However what I have learnt over the last year is that I have far more value than the weight on the scales gives me. I am intrinsically valuable, just because. I don't have to be slim to be loved.
I've been on the Freedom in Christ course and that has been super helpful in making me put down lots of baggage around guilt and past actions. I've also done lots of work on feeling rejected and accepting that I am worth it.
I have my operation for my terrible periods coming up in 2 weeks and that is a big step forward. I also have my appointment for my orthotics to be fitted in a week and I pray that will start to help ease my foot and leg pain. With progress in both these health areas, my weight loss will become much more achievable.
Charity work that had run its course has been let go and I've started new voluntary work to replace it. I'm in a good place with my life generally and I really enjoy all the ways I get to serve my family, community and the Lord.
I need to look through my kind eyes and know there HAS been change and there HAS been progression and it is because I have been able to trust the Lord.
Trusting myself is the part I have found harder and after a lot of evaluation and introspection I have realised that I never achieve the weight loss because I don't truly believe I can. I'm not sure if this is connected to me believing I am worth it or just that I doubt my abilities.
Therefore my guiding word for 2018 is Believe.
I went through so many other words first and it wasn't a quick process to find the right one. Some of those considered were Peace, Change, Free, Fit, Wellness, Shine, Ready and Kind came a very close second. But in the end Believe won as you have to believe to achieve.
I need to believe I am significant and worthy of good outcomes
I need to believe I can make the right choices with food
I need to believe that exercising is necessary and can be enjoyable
I need to believe I will lose weight
I need to believe I am loved
I need to believe my actions make a difference
I need to believe the best of others
I need to believe I have the time to spend with God each day
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22
I am believing that at the end of 2018 I will be far more healthy and lighter than I am right now. That is my one goal for the year. To do this year what I have failed to do for the last two decades - lose weight so I can live a full and free life without being held back by my weight or the health issues it brings.
Lord, I believe that when I place my hand in yours and make an effort, I can do this. Thank you for sticking with me. Amen
