I can hardly believe I have a 16-year-old son;
time really does pass very quickly. We’ve just done the rounds of the local
colleges for him to choose where he wants to go on to next and I realise we are
very lucky as he made a decision quickly and feels sure of the courses he wants
to do.
JJ has always been academic and the STEM
subjects come easily to him, so it was no surprise when he put his application
in for Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and Law. We’re not sure if he’ll
be taking three or four A levels as yet, this will be decided at his college interview in December.
I was keen for him to do four. I think it was
just so I could be a proud mum, with a really bright son. However, when we did
some investigating, it turns out that all the uni’s only look for results in
three subjects, and they’d far rather the applicant had three seriously good
results than four OK ones. We then noticed that where Further Maths is taken
the college normally advocate a fourth subject, so we’ll just see what the college
says and take their advice, they have done this many more times than us.
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It won't be long now friends! We have to get on board and admit that Christmas is fast approaching, I won't tell you that I am completely organised as yet but I am well on the way and the piles of presents hidden around my house are adding up!
As my children get older I find it is harder and harder to buy physical presents for them, often they want experiences, money, clothes or tech and that's OK, they are growing up so I have to respect their wishes. However, I miss the days when they were little and we would be able to enjoy their presents together, building LEGO, playing a board game or doing some craft.
Then a couple of weeks ago it occurred to me, why do things have to change? Last year I bought Risk and we all enjoyed paying it together, so this year doesn't need to be any different, I am going to invest in some gifts we can all enjoy together and then I get my favourite Christmas gift - all my family together.
Here are a few ideas for gifts all the family can enjoy together (if you have older kids like me) -
For the Home
ASDA personalised photo cushion - £26
My first idea was to make a generic one to go on the sofa, but then I knew that my Miss E would really love one with all her favourite cuddlies on it, so here it is with her Alfie teddy, my parents dog Archie and our cat Puss Puss. This will stay in the lounge and we can all enjoy it as it is big enough for two to share. I went for the XL cushion, which is 25" x 14.5" and retails at £26.00 with £4 postage (there is also a smaller size available too).
The cushion is really good quality, it is soft suede, plain beige on the back and printed on the front. There are loads of templates you can choose from for printing, to make it totally unique to your home and I found the process simple, and the delivery quick. I'll happily use ASDA photo again for personalised gifts and I see there is 10% of all personalised cushions until the end of this year too, which is a great deal!
For me, Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas unless our home is decorated in the right way. Tinsel, mistletoe, baubles and fairy lights: all add to the ambience that makes the season. The centrepiece for all of these decorations, naturally, is formed by the tree. But decorating a tree isn’t just a destination; it’s a journey, too. If you want to get the whole family into the Christmas spirit, then drafting them all in to lend a hand is a great way to get started!
For many years when the kids were small, we used to have two trees, as I loved to have a 'perfect' colour coordinated one in the lounge that I had decorated and then we would have a second one in the dining or playroom. This one was super colourful, sling everything on, including homemade decorations tree. As the kids have aged though, I have realised that for me, it is far more important to have everyone involved with the ritual of decorating the tree than it is, for it to look perfect.
Let’s look at a few ways in which we can make the tree-decorating experience special for everyone -
Wearing Christmas Clothes
Any activity will feel that little bit more Christmassy if you’re wearing the right clothes. If you’re gifting Christmas jumpers, then you can save opening them until the big day itself. But there’s nothing stopping you from wearing last year’s jumpers. On the other hand, you might make the experience a little bit cosier by wearing your winter sleepwear. Matching pyjamas or onesies will make the whole family feel like the same cohesive unit!
As a woman in my twenties, it never occurred to
me to analyse my life. To really look at aspects of it and see if I was happy
with them, or if they were healthy. For me, becoming a Christian at 29 was what
had set me on an introspective journey to find out who I am and what is right
for me. I would say what makes me happy, but that doesn’t sit right with me,
for I believe my life isn’t lived for my own gratification.
I have a purpose, a greater good that I’m
supposed to achieve during my life. It may not be what the world deems as bold,
exciting or successful. I don’t have to become famous, make a million, or be
stunningly beautiful. Society’s expectations of success don’t really apply, and
it is so good to remind myself of that fact. All that is expected of me, is
that I try my hardest to follow Christ’s example, to be a good citizen, and to
think about other people, as well as myself.
In fact, in the last few days I’ve been
realising, yet again, (why do I forget these important messages and then have
to learn them again?) that I need to prefer others to myself. That’s not about
me having low self-esteem and believing other people are more important than
me. Not at all. It is about me remembering that I’m here to serve, in so many
ways.
I’ve truly found that when I take my focus off
myself and put it onto others, I am a lot more fulfilled. When I keep analysing
why I feel lonely, or why I’m so fat, or why my work doesn’t feel fulfilling,
all I do is perpetuate those feelings. You know what they say, negative in,
negative out!
It’s so important to think positive and to seek
the good in people. Some may say I’m wearing rose tinted glasses, but that’s
not true, as I still know the world is flawed and there are problems in both my
life, and the wider world around me. I just need to make the purposeful choice
(and no, it’s not always easy) to see the best. A lovely friend reminded me of
this the other day, as my thinking the worst of a situation that involved her
had resulted in me feeling hurt for the last year and because I hadn’t raised
the subject with her, she had no idea, she just thought I was busy, rather than
purposely staying away.
Communication really is key to everything in
life. Being honest and open with God, those around you and importantly,
yourself, makes a massive difference. It won’t always be easy, in fact
sometimes it will feel like such hard work, but it will always pay off.
After my post the other day about loneliness and seeking a good local friend, I spent some more time in prayer and
contemplation, trying to decide what would make the difference to me right now.
What did I come up with? I realised I need to stop thinking about myself and to
do more for others. Not silly things like the kids washing or dropping them
places, but more purposeful things like spending time with them doing an activity they
enjoy, leaving the best parking space for someone else, or
volunteering to do the crappy job at work, the one no-one enjoys.
I have far less time now than I used to, as I’m
working more, but there is always time to do the little things, and many little
things add up to be a big thing. The thing that takes me out of myself and
helps me to focus on others and hopefully gives me that sense of purpose and
satisfaction that I’m ultimately seeking.
But what about you, what are you seeking?
I'm linking this post up with Becky at Lakes Single Mum for Reasons to be Cheerful.
Have you ever thought about starting your very own blog? It’s
hard work…but incredibly rewarding. You might not want your blog to be found
and read by others, you might prefer it to be a private online diary, or maybe
you have an opinion that you’re desperate to share, or you have some advice
that you know others will find helpful. No matter what your motivation for
starting a blog is, it’s a wonderful creative outlet that is ideal for personal
growth and for building your confidence!
Starting a blog is a great idea, but have you wondered what
you might need to make it a success?
Check out my 4 top tips for blogging
success below.
You need the right tools
Of course you’re going to need a laptop and access to the
internet but having a good set of writing tools at your disposal will also help
you through the blogging process. For example, if you’re referencing someone
else’s work or maybe a newspaper article then help with citations and
referencing will be a huge help. Scribbr provides
apa citation guidelines and advice on their website. Investing in proofreading
software, as well as a programme that will help you with spelling, grammar and
clarity will also prove useful. It will also help you improve your work.
Find your niche
You don’t always have to have a niche to make your blog
enjoyable, however, having one will help you to gather a bit of a following and
build on your blog subscribers. If you offer information on a range of
different topics then some readers might dip in and out of your work rather
than returning week after week for a new insight on one specific topic that
interests them. If you have a unique perspective of a particular topic or
varying degrees of experiences and advice from it all, then, by all means, go for
it! Parenting, minimal lifestyles, health and fitness, eco-living, veganism,
sport, travel – all are popular niches. Try to find yours!
Owning pets, whether it's adorable puppies or kittens, fills your home with so much joy. Unfortunately, it also can
fill your house with lots of fur and dander. One aspect of pet ownership,
which many owners don't consider, is the effect their pets have on their
home's HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. If you are
a pet owner, here's what you should be doing to take care of your HVAC
system and keep it operating at its best.
Groom Regularly
Keeping your dog or cat groomed isn't just a great way to keep them clean
and looking their best. A well-groomed animal causes less mess around the home. Regular brushing is highly effective at keeping your house from being
overrun by fur. It removes the fur into the brush, where it can be easily
disposed of. This way, it doesn't get in your heating and cooling ducts
and clog up the system.
Vacuum and Sweep
No matter how diligent you are with grooming it's likely that your pets
will still shed in your house. By maintaining a consistent vacuuming or
sweeping plan you remove the loose fur before it has a chance to get
sucked into a vent where it clogs up your HVAC system.
If you’re looking to book a winter sun holiday with your
family - or looking into options for the
Easter break, or even next year’s summer holiday -
then you might have thought about going to Greece. The gorgeous weather and
fantastic food are just two reasons that may persuade you to pick this country,
but it has so much more to offer.
Kefalonia is one of the many great places to go. It’s the
largest of the Ionian Islands in the west of
Greece, and offers couples and families many things to do together. Here are some
suggestions you may want to think about when booking your Grecian escape -
What to see
If you’re looking for a beach holiday in Greece, then you’ve
come to the right place. Not only are there many white sandy spots to sit on,
but the beautiful blue sea is a gorgeous, inviting enigma with plenty of
surprises within. Myrtos, on the north-west coast of the Kefalonia,
is considered to be one of the top 30 beaches in the world.
You don’t have to just sit on the beach, though, because
there are many things you can do in the sea, or
explore on the coast. If you or your children are interested in animals, then
you could go to Argostoli Bay to see the wild loggerhead turtles lay their eggs, or
even take a cruise on a glass-bottomed boat. There are many caves, lakes and
other water-based activities you can discover as well.
I am so thankful that we got to have a few days away last week during half-term. We've been lucky this year with a couple of short breaks to Yorkshire and then Kent, where we stayed in AirBnB's and they were both lovely, but what I have realised is that when we holiday in the UK we don't rest properly. We do things, we go places, I tidy the house etc etc
Last week we headed to Spain for just 4 nights and I wondered what it would be like. Would it feel as if we've only just arrived and then had to leave again? But no, it was excellent and we all felt thoroughly relaxed by the end of it.
We stayed at the airport the night before and had an early flight, so we were by the pool of our hotel by 10.30am and this gave us an extra full day. The hotel was fab and the rooms were ready by 1pm, so we could get unpacked and back down by the pool in no time at all!
I'd definitely recommend Salou for an October half term break as the temperature was between 21 and 25 degrees each day, and yes I picked up a bit of a tan and needed sun cream! The only downside is that the swimming pools in the hotels are not heated and as such are cold, no scrap that, they are truly freezing!
By the last day both my girls got brave and spent a few hours in the pool, it was lovely to see them having fun with some lovely girls they met.
It was a very low-key holiday, with a bus trip into the neighbouring resort, lots of long walks, coffees out, finding the local cats, games of cards, time spent chatting, reading and enjoying a cheeky Baileys each night.
It was also Salou Independence day whilst we were there and my hubby went to see the night parade with pyrotechnics and the girls and I joined him the next day to see the day parade, with bands, massive puppets, a giant eel and a very scary canon!
I'm thinking this October half-term holiday could become a thing! It was so much cheaper than other times of the year, but next time I would have to find a heated pool!
Having high or low humidity levels in your home can cause
significant trouble. Not only is living in a home with extreme humidity levels
uncomfortable, but excessive moisture or dryness can also cause damage to your
property. Here's what you need to know about regulating your home's humidity
levels to keep them in a comfortable range.
Know Your Warning Signs You can't adjust humidity levels in your home if you don't
know if your humidity levels are off in the first place. The good news is you
don't need any special tools to check for overly humid or dry air. You just
need to know what to look for.
If static electricity levels are high or the paint on your
walls is cracking, your home is likely too dry. If you're seeing condensation
regularly on your windows or drinking glasses, or you're smelling musty odours,
you likely have high humidity.
Handle Wet Clothing Well One of the easiest ways to adjust humidity levels in a
low-tech way is to adjust your treatment of wet clothes. Leaving wet or damp
towels and clothing out causes natural moisture to enter the air. If your
humidity is high and you've been leaving wet clothes in your hamper, simply
doing laundry and putting them away clean and dry could solve a high humidity
issue.
Perhaps you have the opposite problem: low humidity, or dry
air. If that's the issue, after you take your clothes out of the washer, skip
the dryer. You'll find you can raise your home's humidity using clean laundry. Lay laundry out on a line or
rack to encourage evaporation of moisture into the air.
I’ve been looking after myself
recently and that why there’s not been many blog posts, or not ones that take
emotional energy anyway. I haven’t felt like I’ve had much to say and now the
kids are 12, 12 and 16 it’s so hard to share my parenting tales, as they (quite
rightly) don't want their lives broadcast for all to read. Peer pressure and
casual bullying are too rife sadly!
I made a choice a long time ago that I’d share the good,
bad and ugly of my life as a way of connecting, helping others and showing that
Christians are regular, flawed people too. Even this, now, has become more
difficult as so much of my life involves my husband and I’ve never shared on
his behalf. He’s a very private man and wouldn’t want his life ‘out’ there.
So blogging really does seem to be changing for me, it’s
becoming less personal and more a way I earn money. Now, I’m trying to decide
if I’m OK with that. Of course the money in the bank is very helpful, and not
too difficult to earn, but do I want Mummy from the Heart to be a commercial
entity?
I think, to be honest, it is the reality of where I am
right now. I’ll still do personal posts when the moment takes me and I have
something to say but I’m not going to beat myself up for earning a living and
being able to pay for a holiday for our family.
As I sat in the day spa yesterday I was feeling proud of
myself. Proud that I seem to have found that elusive balance that everyone
seeks - I’m employed, I’m self-employed, I’m mum, I’m wife and I’m Michelle
too. I’m getting time for things I enjoy and I’m not feeling run ragged.
Some of it is down to the kids being older, but much of
it is down to my head being in the right place and being able to accept who
people are and what their limitations are. As well as being able to reconcile
that I cannot do everything. I just have to choose what is most important and
focus on those things.
This update post will serve as my regular reasons to be
cheerful post, where I share what is making me feel happy and grateful right
now.
·Time at the spa alone, I had a massage, facial,
time on the hot stone relaxation beds, swim, steam and Jacuzzi. Pure bliss!
·I’m loving being part of the village panto. I
have just volunteered for the chorus this year and I’ve even backed out of one
dance as my hurting foot won’t tolerate the moves, but I am loving the singing.
·I’ve been spending time in the prayer centre to
just be and wait on God, which is never time wasted.
·We’ve joined a new church and I wake up each
Sunday wanting to go and I come away inspired and wanting to do better. I haven’t
had that for a while now, so it is so welcome.
·I made a choice this week to walk away from a
work situation that was upsetting me and I have cut all ties with the source of
anxiety.
·I’m not entirely satisfied with the job I
started back in June, but it was good last week to be really honest with my
manager and to make her aware that I wasn’t sure if it was the right job for
me. We’re working together to see where
it goes.
·I’ve been doing some boring but necessary jobs,
like sorting out the thousands of photos I take. Many are of Ashburnham Place
where I live and I use them for their social and promotional work. They are now
all sorted into files of image type.
·This week has been busy, every moment has been
planned for, but even in that I am managing to swim twice this week and I’m not
beating myself up for lack of gym visits. They’ll get back on track once I
return from holiday.
·And there is the last reason, we go off on
holiday Saturday for a few days to Spain. I’m hoping for lots of relaxation,
walks, swims, good food and book reading. JJ isn’t coming with us, he has the
grandparents coming to stay and is looking after the cat, but he’ll enjoy that
just as much. It will be strange without my boy though.
Now, over to you. How are you doing? I’d love to know,
Mich xx
I think you're either a cut flower person or you're not. I'm not massively nowadays, I can totally appreciate their beauty and I love to take photographs of flowers growing, especially when visiting National Trust properties but it is rare for me to have cut flowers in the house.
If I do, it will normally mean spring has arrived and I picked up some cheerful daffs cheap at the supermarket, someone has sent me a thank you bouquet that I have spread between a few vases across the house, or that it is my anniversary and my hubby remembers how much I love our wedding flowers, stargazer lilies.
Choosing Flowers as a Gift
I do enjoy sending flowers though, as so many of my friends and family really appreciate flowers. I think as you get older and have everything you need, flowers can be a lovely decadent gift that you may not give yourself and are therefore appreciated at special times.
Some of the fun for me in sending flowers is trying to match up the perfect ones for the recipient, and not being too distracted by what I like or don't like. For example, my Nan loved big chrysanthemums as they are bold and bright and reminded her of my Grandad as he grew them, but I detest the smell. Even so, they would still always be my go-to flower for her as it is about making her happy.
Is there such a thing as the language of love? I suspect many people would assume it is all about perfect chemistry and romance - roses, the colour red, candle-lit dinners and hot bubble baths run for you by your beloved, but I believe it is different for every person.
A few years back I read the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman and in more recent years, I've read some of his spin-off books as well and they're excellent. I definitely buy into his thinking that there are five different ways of receiving and giving love. This applies to any kind of love too, romantic, friendly, parental, platonic.
Even the best of matchmakers probably couldn't tell at first glance if you're love language compatible with your partner, but dig a bit further and the good news is that we can all give and receive in all the love languages.
Chapman suggestions that the five love languages are -
Physical Touch - this is probably the easiest to understand. It is about all expressions of physical touch, both sexual and non-sexual. So an encouraging shoulder squeeze could be enough to motivate a teenage lad who has this as his primary love language.
Acts of service - this is my number one. I really feel loved when people do things for me, especially when it is unexpected and I haven't had to ask them. So my husband stacking and emptying the dishwasher so I come down to a tidy kitchen in the morning is a big turn-on for me.
Heading out on my own for a walk and pray around the grounds of my home
Earlier this week I was booked in for a spa day at our local Bannatynes. You can get really good deals on Wowcher and I decided at the beginning of this year that at least a couple of times a year I would treat myself to a day spa. A few treatments, time in the gym, steam room, swim, massive jacuzzi and a nice lunch with a good book. Oh and not forgetting some downtime on the hot stone relaxation beds.
I'd been really looking forward to my day spa and I hadn't let any appointments or tasks get in the way. As I was getting ready in the morning Miss E asked me who I was going with. I told her I was going alone and she looked so concerned and said 'but won't you get lonely mum?' This got me pondering and thinking about my friendships and yes there are definitely times when I get lonely, but to be honest, at the day spa isn't one of them.
Call me selfish but I love to be able to suit myself. I did the activities in the order I wanted, I ate when I was hungry, if I was later than planned in the morning it didn't matter and when I had lunch I could absorb myself in my book. I had moments of longing as I saw so many friends and couples, there for the day together, looking comfortable in each others company and chatting away, but ultimately I decided I really was OK there on my own.
Since we moved to East Sussex over six years ago I haven't had the easiest time making friends. There are lots of people I know and would happily chat to, there are even a couple I've had really deep conversations with and enjoyed special times with but I haven't made that best friend. The one who knows me so well and we just hang out and do life together. I do get sad about that sometimes.
We all know teenagers have their
moments, they can be a delight one minute and difficult to talk to the next.
Being aware of your own style of communication is key, if you’re too forceful
then you may be ignored or pushed back, and if you are too soft then you might
not give them the motivation they need.
When broaching the subject of college
or university however, there are a few things that you can do to keep the lines
of communication open, and the parental relationship on sound terrain!
1. Start the Conversation Early
Of course you want to help yourteen consider which college or university might
be right for them, and it is best to start this conversation earlier than you might
think. The sooner you start the conversation, the less time pressure there is
and the easier it is for them to adjust to the idea of potentially leaving home
and becoming more independent.
You can ask around your friends for
good experiences their older children have had, and collect some prospectuses
for them. if your child has one of those rosielovescake@hotmail.co.uk kind of
email address then it is probably a good idea, to help them to set up a new
more professional email address. Then encourage them to independently email
colleges for the information they require.
I've been reflecting this weekend on how lucky we are to every new day in front of us. Each is a privilege that we need to make the most of. That doesn't mean we have to be super busy or doing loads, it just means we should be fulfilling our calling, whatever it is we believe we are on this earth to do.
I have to be honest I am still not clear on what my ultimate calling is, I know this season right now is about parenting my three children, supporting my husband and serving the community I live within. I also still wonder if there is something bigger than this that I should be doing, but that could just be me and my pride, assuming there was due to be more to my life than being a helper.
Sadly, I'm very task-driven, I love to tick things off the to-do list and I get such a sense of satisfaction when things are running smoothly and everything is on track. I know that I am far more concerned with things and tasks than I am with people and relationships. I also know that people are far more important, so my priorities are out of balance, but all I can do is try to change things, to shift the balance a little.
God made me with the skills and talents I have, so I am obviously supposed to be an organised, efficient kind of woman who gets things done, but it is my job to maintain balance and to focus on His desires for all His children. That they are loving and full of grace for all people.
I've had a fabulous weekend and I am very thankful for it. There hasn't been anything big and glamorous going on, but it has been great.
Saturday
I started the day with a cooked breakfast and a couple of episodes of Chicago Med
I had a great hour in the Prayer Centre soaking and reading
Lunch with some lovely ladies and a very good chat
I got a couple of (long-overdue) cupboards sorted out
A few hours of work and many things ticked off
Yummy homemade chilli nachos for tea with all the family
Casualty on TV
Sunday
A great service at church, with a pertinent message about belonging
Roast beef cooked for me
I got the weeks ironing out of the way
Fun rehearsal for the panto I am taking part in, in November
Off to see Jo Brand at the theatre in a few minutes and then a chicken kebab on the way home
Simple stuff, but it all makes for a happy and content Mich!
I hope you've had a great weekend too. Mich x
I'm linking this post up with Becky at Lakes Single Mum for Reasons to be Cheerful
Image
Credit: Lake Moraine by Garrett Parker on Unsplash
{Collaborative
post}
I often think that people miss a trick when they pass Canada over in favour of a visit to the United States. This massive country has so much going for it, like 79 million hectares of protected wilderness, long summer days, winters that don’t stop day-to-day life and the eTA Canada is incredibly easy to gain too.
Of course, when you start planning your trip to a foreign country you want to check out the costs, safety, climate, health and travel requirements, and Canada is a hit on all fronts. Once you have booked your trip and made sure that you have your travel insurance in place, you want to get your electronic travel authorization (or eTA) in process by filling out the Canada eta application, then you can sit back and start to plan all the truly exciting places that you will visit whilst in the country.
As Canada is so big, you’re either going to need to be there for some weeks to travel all round or you’ll need a few trips to the different areas. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing places you can visit to discover just how diverse Canada is.
1. Lake Moraine, Banff National Park, Alberta
Lake Moraine is only half the size of its sister, Lake Louise but many say it is even more beautiful. Well known for its clear turquoise colour, this glacier-fed lake is best viewed from late June through to August. In fact, you’ll only be able to visit from late May until early October as then the weather may become too harsh and unpredictable for the access road to be open. You can take one of the many trails along stone steps to see the magnificent mountain and lake views, including the iconic ten peaks.
I'm a little early but that's OK, as it's my blog and I can choose what I want to do. To be honest I've not been feeling the blogging mojo just recently. I think as I've started a new job and it's been the summer holiday I've just been really short of time.
I'm off to the Blog On conference tomorrow (my first one) and I am really hoping to re-find my love of blogging, and to want to get back in to writing. It should be a lot of fun, but I haven't been to a blogging conference for a couple of years now and I'm going on my own, so I am a tad nervous and want to make sure I find my confidence so I can chat to people.
To gte me in the right spirit for tomorrow I want to share my reasons to be cheerful for this week. These are all the simple moments that I am super grateful for.
It's been a productive week, workwise
Having fajitas and enjoying the company of my kids as we ate
I've joined the chorus of the village panto and we had our first practise. I think I'll have a lot of fun getting involved with this
I had a new fridge and freezer delivered and installed. This will make such a difference, as we were super tight for space
Clearing all the summer stuff out the dining room and taking it back up to the shed
Getting JJ's massive amount of Lego sold and out the house
Bleeding the radiators and the house toastie again
I've had some great walks around the grounds of my home
I had the most divine hot chocolate whilst soaking my feet (I really am an 80 year old in a 46 year olds body!)
Having a super chilled Friday with my parents, including liver and bacon for lunch, yummy!
I'm at Blog On today and keen to learn something new and to have my blogging fire reignited
Choosing not to stay overnight tonight and drink too much alcohol. This means I can get home and go to church with my family Sunday morning
See, it really is the simple things that can make me smile. I tend to find that when I remember to be grateful for the simple stuff, the big stuff takes care of itself.
Wishing you a great week ahead. Do share what has made you cheerful this week and feel free to link a post up with Becky at Lakes Single Mum for Reasons to be Cheerful.
Myself and my friend Rachel (Mid Life Single Mum) agreed we'd post every couple of weeks to stay accountable for how we are doing in relation to the changes we want to make to our lives. She suggested we do a Slimming Sunday post, as that was something we both used to do and I thought, yes great idea but then I've been thinking about posting yesterday and today and not feeling at all motivated.
As I mused why, I realised that my focus isn't on slimming. Yes, of course I need to lose a serious amount of weight, but that isn't so I'll be slim. Being slim and being able to dress in whichever clothes I fancy will be a nice bonus, but the main thing is to lose weight to improve my health and get rid of the many ailments I currently have.
On Friday 6th September I started to make choices that would lead to better health for me and I want to celebrate those good choices. There have been times, even days in the last week or so when I haven't been great, when my choice has perhaps been a poor one, but I don't want to linger on those times and beat myself up, I want to focus on the good and as such I'll link this post up with Reasons to be Cheerful as I am seriously grateful for the good choices I have been making, some of which will seem so silly to many but for me they are steps in the right direction - progress.
I faced the music and went to see my doctor to get weighed and to have my blood pressure checked. I was super pleased to find I was only 0.5kg more than when I last saw her about six months ago and my BP was fine.
I've had some great days food wise, making good choices and not feeling deprived because of them
I've been eating fruit. This might not sound much to many, but fruit I've always regarded as a waste of calories and I've chosen an apple, bananas and plums this week
I even muttered the words 'no, I'm not hungry' when offered something by JJ
I restarted at the gym and had a gym and a swimming session last week, at two different places. My membership gives me access to about six clubs and I intend to explore them all
I've been choosing to drink tea over coffee as this saves me milk and sugar in every cup
My water intake has been good and I've been remembering to hydrate
I haven't been allowing other peoples negative moods impact on me
I contacted my coach and we set up a meeting to talk and this always helps me to clear my thoughts and to be sure of where I am heading
I've been making more time to read and pray each each
It's been an acceptable start to making better choices and improving my life for the better. There is four years until I hit 50 and that feels like a great milestone to head towards.
In this day and age it is far to easy to allow time to whizz by and for all the family to do totally different activities. Of course it is healthy to spend time apart and they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I find it is also good to plan intentional time for all the family to be together.
We may not all love the same activity, but as long as we are doing things at some point that each family member enjoys then it is good to grow in tolerance and to partake in each others preferred activities.
Here are a few examples of the ways we like to spend time together as a family, I hope they'll encourage you to do the same. Of course, it isn't every day but at least once a week we have a good couple of hours where we all put down the phones and engage with each other.
1. Cycle, skate or scoot together
My family all love to cycle and the kids enjoy scooting as well. The girls then go one step further and are great roller skaters too. As for me, well I am not great with anything on just a couple of wheels, so if I am going to join the family for a fun family cycle I'd need to invest in a Jorvik adult tricycle, as three wheels will suit me much better I am sure!
2. Play Board Games
We all enjoy playing a good board game together, I think this is because I started to play with the kids from a young age. What started as snakes and ladders, progressed to Monopoly and now we love to play Risk or Catan.
My kids went back to school yesterday and I know I was supposed to have got them back in a routine of going to bed earlier and being ready to wake for the early mornings and I had good intentions, honestly, I did! But it just didn't seem to fall into place this year. I blame where we live, there is just too many fun things going on and the girls, in particular, want to be involved in everything.
Thankfully they all got up fine for their first morning back and I am determined to help them get back on track over the weekend. I assume there are other parents like me who didn't manage to get their kids back on track this last week so I thought it might be useful to share my tips for helping your child have a good nights sleep -
1. Check out your child's bed and mattress. I spent a night on Miss M's bed recently as she was poorly and had fallen asleep in my bed. I thought I'd be kind and leave her there for the night but boy did I regret it as her mattress is horrible, even though it is fairly new. You really are worth investing in a good mattress, so why not take a look at the beds from Bed Guru.
2. Keep sleep and wake times constant, even on the weekend. I've had to lay down the law with my 12-year-olds and tell them there is no more sitting quietly on the sofa and hoping to be forgotten, they need to be in bed by 9.30pm at the latest.
We've been to Port Lympne animal reserve a few times now and each visit has been so much fun. We've been in the summer when it was super busy and during a week day when the kids are at school and it feels like we're the only ones there (we're not!), and both occasions have been great fun. Earlier this week when most of the East Sussex and Kent schools had gone back we headed to Port Lympne with my mum and brother to visit for the first time. They'd heard so many great things from me that they didn't want to stay away.
Port Lympne is set is picturesque countryside, but it is quite a steep hill, so I was interested to see how we'd all cope as mum has COPD, I've got calf issues currently and my brother had a knee op earlier this year. I was so impressed that when I mentioned mum's condition to any of the staff they told me I could approach any member of staff with a radio, if we needed to, and they would get a minibus to take mum back to the top. It turned out we didn't need to, as we took it easy on the hills, made use of all the appropriately positioned benches and stopped to look at the animals as we went.
On the day we visited it was raining terribly when we awoke and we weren't too keen to wander around in the rain, so we left it a while for the weather to clear and thankfully by the time we got there at 1pm the skies were blue and the sun had come out. Mum was a little worried that we wouldn't get long at the park as we had only arrived at lunchtime but thankfully it doesn't close until 6.30pm, so we had plenty of time.
