WOYWW 245

Its Wednesday, so its WOYWW, so let's get straight down to business - no time to shilly shally.  I have officially finished all of the layouts I can possibly get from the collection I've been working on through Shimelle's class.  The one you can see on the desk is the penultimate layout.  I just about have enough scraps left to eek out a Valentine card for Management - ssshh don't tell him, just between us 'kay?

I was enjoying a little play (hence the full cuppa) Tuesday afternoon when I took this during a brief moment of sunshine - hurrah!  I really feel for anyone experiencing floods etc right now - it is truly awful.  There can't be much more water left in the sky to fall can there?!

Last week I mentioned that I was heroically trying to log all my layouts / blogged projects / photos etc and part of that is filing this pile of layouts!  You can see the spotty tablecloth that I used to have on my desk which some of you might remember.  You can also see why I choose to use Taffy pink albums by American Crafts :-)

Its been a creative hive of activity here at Crazy Towers.  Miss Bella wanted a friend to come over to make a Facebook page!  Kinda cute that she got it mixed up but she did actually mean a scrapbook page obviously. I knew I would have to tackle the children's art room in order for this to take place - gulp!

Being by the back door means all manner of outside items get left here.  It leads through to the utility so it bugs me that it is so messy.

There was nothing else for it.  It had to be done.  I put some funky music on, grabbed another cuppa and set to it.  I'm pretty pleased with the results but I just need to keep on top of it!

The insect home you can see on the windowsill there is patiently awaiting our baby stick insects to be big enough not to be able to squeeze through the holes!  We have 6 so far of just under an inch long.

The trolley on the left is what I sort the washing into, nothing to do with crafts at all.  The basket on top is full of Slimming World magazines that I need to sort through and pull out the recipes.  The shelves there are also the place where I keep my vases etc.

Our little guest took to scrapbooking like a duck to water and was overheard to say "I love your house.. I really love doing this!"  Also Louis finished a lovely page which I promised I would show on the blog very soon and said he had forgotten how much he enjoyed scrapbooking!  This all made my heart literally sing!  I find it hard to have little friends to tea but it is part of my One Little Word progress and I have to say that it was lovely to see the three of them sat there singing along to the radio and cutting and sticking while I pottered about at the stove.

Anyway, enough about the crafting going on here, what's going on where you are?  Pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground to link up with other desks around the world.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 213 (really!)

Good morning, good yawning!  I know we always go on about how it can't be Wednesday again so soon but seriously?!  Both Smalls went up to their new schools yesterday because it is nearly the end of the school year.  THAT makes me nervous because it means we are over half way through the year already and I have only just put away my Winter coat!

Not much time spent at my desk this week, which won't help my mental state, but the sun certainly will so that's okay.  Although it ran away and hid again yesterday so I did some colouring with my girl and then almost finished another page for my Devon album.

Last Wednesday I mentioned that I was taking some photos of my niece and her baby boy.  I was rather pleased with several of the pictures, despite not being anything of a photographer really, and I will share some of the better ones in another post but I can't resist showing you this one.  Beaulieu makes such a wonderful backdrop.

Right oh, cuppa and a Slimming World cereal bar and then I will be around.  Don't forget to link up with Julia to see the rest of the desks around the world and find out more about What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Bye for now
xx

Pick your precious - Trainers

This post is brought to you by Story Telling Sunday with Sian from High in the Sky.

Its been a frantic but wonderful bank holiday weekend here.  I've just realised that it is Monday and not Sunday so I am a day late with this post, THAT'S how lovely this weekend has been.  The sun was shining which always makes me happy and we had our first BBQ of the year.  We put our sun shade up for the season and even purchased some new garden furniture that we have been discussing for about 4 years now. There was a little bit of time for crafting, a day out at a country fair, a brief visit to Beaulieu to see Management at work, and I still managed to find time to put my trainers on.  These are my "precious" for this Sunday (Monday!)

Now many of you might think, well I know she is mad, but trainers?  Really?  Has she totally lost the plot?  Well yes, I am crackers and I make no apologies for that and I shall be honest and say that the last 2 weeks have been some of the lowest ever in my life but thanks to my trainers, I am pulling myself out of it again.

I am mid assignment for my writing course and my story is all about things that happen at the gym.  It was while working on that that I realised just how much my trainers have come to mean to me.  I bought them in September 2011 when I first considered needing some proper running shoes but they still look fantastic because I train on a treadmill.  Ordinarily I hate spending more than about £15-20 on shoes but these were £95!!!  I went to a specialist running shop for gait analysis and I was videoed running in different trainers to find the best support possible.  Knowing how much they cost means I don't wear them to walk to school or to go to the shops etc.  When I put these on, I mean business.  I know that when I wear these, I am doing something really good for myself.  As a bare minimum, we should all be doing 3x30mins per week for general health but yet it still feels a bit frivolous to spend that time on myself but it's becoming much more of a habit for me now.  Aside from the weight loss (I've lost a stone so far this year), the benefits to my mental health are better than any pill or therapy I have ever tried.  When I put my trainers on it's like taking a happy pill because I know that the endorphins are just there waiting for me to let them out.

I have a couple of set routines during the week and then I fit in other things around those.  On Wednesdays I do Combat training which is a mixed martial arts inspired cardio work out.  It feels like I am literally kicking and punching my demons away.  I'm working on my technique to get more out of the class but oh boy do I get sweaty or do I get sweaty?!  On Sunday afternoons I go to the gym to use the treadmill.  I do a combination of running and walking and I am working up to doing more and more of my time as running but it is hard on my shins.  I've got dodgy knees which is why I run on the treadmill rather than outside on hard pavements.  We live in an area with lots of slopes and I'm fine on the uphill but my knees just can't take the down.  I hope to rectify this as I get fitter and my legs get stronger but for now I am content with brisk walking in the local area.

Any time I am walking or running I use an app on my phone called Zombies, Run!  It's basically a story that plays clips in between your chosen running songs, all about the zombie apocalypse.  You are a runner helping to rescue people, retrieve medical supplies and technological equipment, find information about a vaccine etc to help build a base and rebuild a healthy population.  It uses GPS / pedometer to track your progress and rewards you with materials and unlocking extra missions.  If you are really crazy then you can enable the zombies to chase you and you have to speed up by 10% for one minute or risk being caught and you can hear them coughing and groaning and getting closer by the second.  Seriously, I've never been into zombies or anything but I can't wait to get my trainers on and find out what the next part of the story is - it has totally transformed my training.  They have just released Season 2 and have included missions written by a fan who had written some fan fiction about the characters in the story.  If ever there was a reason to praise fan fiction, this is it!  Can you imagine getting that call from the game you love asking for you to write some stuff for them?!

I'm really enjoying getting fit and even loving the ache in my muscles the next day (or two or three!) because I know it is because I am doing something really good for myself.  I have to continue to make time for this because the hard work reaps so many benefits.  I am looking forward to putting my trainers on again very soon.  And of course, at the end of the day, I am worth it :-)

Bye for now
xx

That's How He Rolls (Scoot)

While we were away I had a great opportunity to play with the new Echo Park Papers collection called Scoot which is available at S J Crafts.  It is aimed primarily at little boys but I ended up with a variety of projects which I'll be sharing over the next week (or you can see more of them sooner at the S J Crafts blog).

This first one uses both sides of the same paper which I mounted on a piece of cardstock that I didn't need (awful colour / damaged / whatever).  It gives everything stability and still maintains the 12x12 size.

I was really lucky to catch Louis's first roll over just before 4 months because I was trying to take a picture of him wearing a fireman's outfit, hence the fire engines in the papers being perfect here.  You can see how much more generic some of the B sides are with this ruled lines paper.

I used stickers from the collection with a few on pop dots for dimension and then added a few bits from my stash here and there.

This little guy is currently busy designing his own Lego world and eating us out of house and home.  I can hardly believe it's the same little chap in these photos.  At the time we had a 3 storey house and the only computer was in the top room so I used to lay him on the floor up there with a few toys while I tried to get 20 minutes of chat with my Open University friends.  Now of course I have a lap top and I am on it for long stretches at a time while I study / write / catch up with friends / blog / blog hop / scan Pinterest / make pretty things on my Silhouette / crop photos / check out Slimming World recipes / etc.  I wonder how I could cope now if I could only spend 2 x 20 minute bursts on the computer at the top of the house!

Tomorrow I'll be sharing something I created on black so please do come back and have a look at the rest of the projects over the next few days.

Bye for now
xx

Goals? What goals?

Back in September I wrote this post about my short term goals.  To date, far from any progress with my goals, I have actually gone backwards in a few of them!  Here they are again, just for fun.

I want to get back to my running and hopefully start to attend the regular Park Runs held locally. 

I want to make real progress with my weight loss and head towards losing another 2 stone. 
I want to engage more with the children in the precious times that we have together now. 
I want to get back to enjoying cooking by planning ahead and researching my Slimming World recipe books. 
I want to stay in control of the house in terms of the housework, the de-cluttering and the decorating.
I want to make positive progress with my shoulder injury.
I want to keep on track with my coursework and start to look for outlets for my work.
I want to make progress on my unfinished projects and keep adding to my haul of finished layouts.
I want to make progress with my photo workflow.
I want to be calm and happy and feeling like I am moving forward.

Several things have gotten in the way of this, just normal life things like birthdays and parties (which seem more frequent when we are already busy... or is that just me?), illness (colds ALWAYS come when you really could do without them) and (still battling with side effects of anti-depression medication and trying to get the balance right), random events at Management's work causing him to be busier than normal (this week it is the new Bond film preview) and general family crisis type stuff (tests and results that don't go as planned, the inquest into my Step-Mum's death which, as we expected, gave no more answers than we had a year ago when she died).  

I tried to get this photo blown up onto a canvas for my Dad's birthday last week but I didn't check the size.  When I went to collect it there was no way it would fit in the car.  It was 1.5m tall and 1m wide.  My step-mum ended up bigger than Miss Bella when she stood next to it!  The quality wasn't brilliant but it was passable, however it was just too ridiculously big.  The hassle involved in getting it sent back was yet more time I didn't have and it left my Dad with no present for his birthday.  Thankfully we have another one on the way from another company at more realistic size and quality.

One event that took up a lot of time this week but was awesome, was a night out with friends from school, some of whom I haven't seen for 22 years!  I had a new outfit, I had my nails done, I even had a spray tan!  A friend did my face (she's a make-up artist for celebs dahling) and we went clubbing and then crashed out in the hotel room.  I felt absolutely fantastic on the night, better than I have for ages, it was such a boost to my lagging self esteem.  Unfortunately the come down has been less awesome but it reminded me just how much I used to love going out and looking after myself etc.  A lot happened over the weekend in terms of things being talked about or noticed or admitted (amongst all of us) and we all came back with a determination to make some changes in our lives.

I don't know where I am going to get the energy from as I am still carrying this cold about like Quasi Modo's hump but I need to make some changes and fast.  Life is always going to be hectic, that's our crazy life now and I have to find a way to work around it rather than trying to wait until is passes.  With that in mind, I am going to have an early night and hope I wake up refreshed and ready to attack!

Bye for now
xx

Some summing up

Its been a pretty crazy couple of months around here.  The children went on school holidays and a couple of weeks later we had a new little boy in the family.  Baby T is my Great Nephew and he is now 5 weeks old.  He and his Mum and Dad moved the week he was born and they are now sadly nearly 3 hours away so the poor little sausage gets the life squeezed out of him when he visits as we take turns to hold him.

He has been down visiting this week and so we helped out by having Harvey, their lovely Staffordshire Bull Terrier for a doggy sleepover.

Between baby-watching and doggy sitting, we've not achieved much this week I can tell you!  We just about managed to fit in a quick snuggle with my other Great Nephew, Baby E who arrived in the world last week (you might remember from this post.)  He is now a whopping 4lbs and 10oz!  Even Management managed to get a snuggle of this one!

Two babies in a week is almost more than Miss Bella can handle.  Throw Harvey the dog into the mix and we have been a little... erm... overexcited to say the least.

She has found the slightly longer days at preschool really hard to adjust to with all this extra excitement going on.  At the end of the week it was all too much for her... bless!

I was really glad to get back to a routine again and part of that routine is the monthly Artful Angels crop.  This month we were visited by Handmade Treasures with her lovely displays of ribbons and buttons that looked like a lovely sweetshop.  I admit, I broke my stash diet here but only a little bit.  I used some of the stuff on Thursday when my friend came over for a scrappy play date and I managed to catch up on a few projects.

So we are now 2 weeks into the school term and I have no plans to visit or be visited by any babies or dogs this week, or to go to or host any crops.  I've also decided that as I didn't get off to a very good start with all this going on, I am not going to try to catch up or continue with LSNED this year.  I have too much to keep me occupied to be going backwards.  I can start exercising again this week and my new course starts in about 10 days time so I need to get as much done as I can before then.  Look at all these lovely books!

My routine will be a little different from now on that it was before the summer holidays but I really hope it will take me forward as I have really stalled in the last year or so with all the goings on and I can really feel the difference in my mood.  I thought if I shared my resolutions here then I might be more accountable to actually continuing with them.  So:

I want to get back to my running and hopefully start to attend the regular Park Runs held locally.
I want to make real progress with my weight loss and head towards losing another 2 stone.
I want to engage more with the children in the precious times that we have together now.
I want to get back to enjoying cooking by planning ahead and researching my Slimming World recipe books.
I want to stay in control of the house in terms of the housework, the de-cluttering and the decorating.
I want to make positive progress with my shoulder injury.
I want to keep on track with my coursework and start to look for outlets for my work.
I want to make progress on my unfinished projects and keep adding to my haul of finished layouts.
I want to make progress with my photo workflow.
I want to be calm and happy and feeling like I am moving forward.

Feel free to nag me, if you got this far you deserve it! ;-)

Bye for now
xx

Ready for September

Well that was August.  Over in a flurry of showers and the occasional sunny moment.  September will bring a few changes here at Castle Johnson with Bella at preschool for 3 days and me going back to studying with the Open University.  I will also be going back to the gym to test the progress on my shoulder (or not) and I'm hopeful that by the end of the month, I will be the lightest that I have been for many years and dipping under the next stone mark at Slimming World.

Of course I will be recording this journey with Shimelle's Learn Something New Everyday.  You don't have to be a scrapbooker or a crafter of any sort to join in with this particular class because this is about the lessons we learn everyday and recording them in whichever way suits us individually.

I've mentioned before about my album, saved from last year, so here it is.  This is a bare chipboard album covered with Pink Paisley "Old School" papers and random bits from my stash.

This is the inside cover and I've cut all my pages to size and hole punched them ready to go.  I plan to do a lot of journalling this year.

This morning I finally finished my owls.  These will be the date markers with a little white number on their smart tummies, and I think I will add them to a label shape for the journalling.

Louis would like to show you his book that he made too.  We used the papers that come with Scrapbook Magazine (which I dislike intensely but are perfect for the children) and glued them back to back.  Then we cut them to size (6x4 so we can easily add photos where needed) and he rounded all the corners.  Then he cut the title element and wrote it out (several times as he wasn't happy with it) and made his own owl and a little flag.  He got very excited about we put it all together and almost combusted when I showed him how to insert the pin into the foam tape of the title!

He's got lots of different papers in his book and the spare bits are in a bag.  He has punched some shapes ready to decorate his pages and made a little pocket for these and his gems that he wants to use.  I tell you this kid is a chip off the old block!

September also sees a return of the Artful Angels crops and I am so excited because I get to take my new bag.  Look at this beauty!!!

The fabulous Lunch Lady Jan made it for me especially to fit my trimmer which won't fit in my rolling tote.  It is exactly what I wanted - pockets on the outside for my keys and purse and long straps to make it easier on my shoulder.

She chose the fabrics herself and I think she knows me well enough that she got it spot on, literally!  Pink polka dots and a pink and aqua tea cup fabric!  (She knows I love tea!)  She also made it extra sturdy by using a special backing.  I love it!

Louis took some photos of me "wearing" it but I looked awful so I ended up just holding it out so you can see all its gorgeousness.  I am very lucky to have such a talented and wonderful friend and I am planning a little something to say thank you in return.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a cup of tea to drink.

Bye for now

xx

Learn Something New Everyday

Can you believe it is almost September?  I found a leaf this morning that was scarlet, so beautiful, and I knew  Autumn was suddenly saying hello.  September always brings Shimelle's Learn Something New Everyday class and last year I got very organised with making my own album, cutting all the pages to size etc.  For some reason, I never even completed day 1.  I made mental notes about what I was learning and most of it related to the exercise programmes that I was trying to achieve.  In the end, I took the photos that related to my lessons and this weekend I made a double page layout with those instead of the album.

I printed my journalling in a list and then cut it into strips.

I'm happy that they overlap the photos which is something I wouldn't normally do, because the journalling is the most important thing here.  

Of course, the end of September was when my Step-Mum died suddenly but this wasn't  about that at all and I didn't want to make a big thing of it here.  I made a note in relation to 29th which might sound a bit harsh on its own but I intend to do another page that preceeds this one with the story of that evening - I was on my way to the gym when I got the phone call.

I used Echo Park Paper's This and That Graceful collection because the pinks and reds were a great match for my red vest and pink iPod cover.

I can tell you that I have lost NO weight since then due to hovering around the same half stone mark but I have carried on with Slimming World because I knew if I stopped I would start gaining!  My shoulders are still causing me great problems so I have had to suspend my gym membership.  The next step is another MRI looking at a different area but I am going back to the gym in September regardless to work on the bits I can.  Although I am sad that the summer holidays are almost over, I am quietly looking forward to the changes that it will bring and I will have much to record for LSNED this year!

I haven't wasted the album from last year though.  I have changed the date to 2012 and got my basket of supplies ready and I am busy making owls to use for my journalling.  I'll share my preparations in another post very soon.  What are you looking forward to about September?  Anyone else joining us for LSNED this year?

Bye for now
xx

Just Me

I've had this layout planned for ages.  The photo is the first one I ever tried to take of myself nearly 2 years ago now.  I thought it was about time I featured in my own albums now and then!  

I wanted to use lots of the things I love so I included some of my favourite hoarded papers and ribbons, lots of pink and aqua, pieces of craft packaging, music paper, book style paper and cupcake transparency.  

This little chipboard house is a nod to my love of being at home.  There is bunting, hearts and roses, oh my! Everything on the page is special to me and relevant.  Its about what I liked at that time (which is much the same as now really!)

Of course what I really like is scrapping with my friends and eating delicious things like cakes and chocolate and chips.  However I am being very very good with my eating at the moment (more on that in another post)  so on Saturday I will be scrapping with my friends and eating fruit and a jacket potato!  Still, as long as I am playing with paper I am happy.  To be honest it will make a lovely change from the other playing with paper that I have been doing which is ripping it from our hallway walls.  I am literally twitching.  I despise the disruption that decorating causes but I hope to goodness it will be over quickly and worth it in the end.  Sing with me now "This too shall pass"... :-)


Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 153

Do not adjust your sets.  This desk may look small but it is perfectly formed and primed for action, but obviously not mine.  Bella decided that she didn't want to be outside with the boys doing "fixing" (we lost our gate and a jasmine tree in the recent winds) but she wanted to watch them.  I am hoping that this new addition will mean that she doesn't do her "snipping" all over the floor but it does somehow legitimise her spending time in MY room.  Hhhmmm... we will see how it goes.

Another new addition to my room is the rack with the pots on attached to the far wall.  I love them even though I have no idea what to put in them as they are too far away for me to reach from my desk.  I may put sewing bits in them as that is where I am situating my machine.  If it stays out I might use it more ;-)  There is more to go on this wall yet... watch that space.

And my usual desk of course.  Full of..... not piles this week, well not really, unless you count things placed coincidentally on top of other things.  I am trying to tie up my Journal Your Christmas project which has been outstanding for.. ahem... quite some time obviously.  I got so far with it though that I am determined to finish it and not have such a precious American Crafts D Ring Album sitting half empty on the shelf.

Just out of shot to the left is a box of balsam tissues.  Yes you guessed it, we didn't even make it to the end of the week before Louis got a cold (which he has now passed to us) and Bella got a sickness something (we are still waiting to see if it is a bug...)  But we will continue to fight, oh yes!  And I lost 2.5lbs at Slimming World this week so that's not too bad now is it? ;-)

Psst - don't forget to share your desk for WOYWW over at Julia's blog.

Bye for now

WOYWW 145

Okay so last week I said 143 and it was 144 - I admit, I'm a wrong un.  Today is definitely 145 though, isn't it?

So, this was my desk this afternoon...

The commission for the retirement album is well under way despite only really starting on Sunday.  The album itself arrived today so I've put in the 18 pages that I've completed in the last few days.  You can also see the remains of the papers and cardstock that I've used so far, some plans for further pages, the beginnings of some rosettes and of course, that all important cup of tea.

And just so you know its me, here are the spots!  You can see that I'm joining in with the Crafters Waltz (push to the back, squash to the left, squish to the right) and there are some more of the papers I'm using for the album there and some lovely bakers twine which arrived today.

But because I've been crafting for hours, I thought I would take another pic tonight to show the progress of another set of pages.  The album has lots of purple in it as the car that will be featured is a fantastic shade of purple but there are also lots of blues, reds and browns too.  The papers are all slightly grungy and masculine from a wonderful set from My Minds Eye.

By this time next Wednesday, the entire thing must be finished ready for posting first thing Thursday.  Its been incredibly interesting to do and I've learned a lot but heck my mind has been a whirl of decisions and planning and working out ways to get a few more minutes of work in.  I was even cutting and folding during B's ballet class and my Slimming World session!

I'll leave you with a very special layout (for SJ Crafts) about a subject close to my heart, in case you missed it the other day.  Its about our weekly jaunt around the desks with Julia which has become so much of my routine and I had all the photos on my hard drive so I felt compelled to record it!

Right, 20 more pages to go......

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 143

Do not adjust your sets.  Normal service will resume shortly.  I hope!  My table has gone to pastures new (my Dad's house was left very bare when his partners family removed many of her belongings and they tried to take some of his stuff too... gggrrr to the horrors that death brings about in people) so I am in the market for a new table to work at.  This is what my pink spotty tablecloth was hiding... no not Management and the children, just that gorgeous table.

This is the situation today.  Management is off and as B is at nursery we are trying to get this room completed so that we can move on to the bedroom which was the intended current task!  Oops!

I am very twitchy not having a craft room right now.  You'll notice a few baby pink things on the floor where I have been spraying.  I moved the mat out to spray in the garden and a pretty misted rectangle was revealed on the floor.  B then romped around in it and managed to clean the floor but end up very pink herself.  The previous evening I went to my Slimming World meeting with pink hands, and socks with a pink slipper shape misted onto them!

I'm taking the time in exile to complete some more pizza box storage and to plan a rather special project involving plaster cast.  If you have any ideas on this or you know what does or doesn't work on plaster then please let me know before I damage something that can never be repeated.

And here's a little card that I managed to sneak in before the table escaped.  One of B's preschool teachers left and so I used some Kirsty Wiseman inspiration because I love her cards.  I can't wait for the room to be finished so I can get back in there and get back at my scissors and glue!

I'm sure I will need a break during the painting today and what better way to relax than to have a peruse of other crafty desks around the world.  Check out the list with Julia but don't let your tea go cold while you snoop ;-)

Bye for now

WOYWW 140

Good morning to you all from a very chilly Southern England.  We didn't have snow which really upset the children but who knows what the next few days will bring?

For your delectation this morning we have Slimming World magazines (I am trying to make a note of which books my fave recipes are in) and my Smash book which is going to be my weight loss and fitness inspiration.  Funny that the first page I opened was a picture of a cake...  Just behind the iPad, out of sight, is the current DT project for S J Crafts and next to that is an album that I made that I am repurposing into a DIY Smash book for ideas for the home.  I need to rejuvinate my desire to sort both myself out and get on with the decorating etc but I don't want to miss sticking pretty things together either.

I finished another of my boxes and I am really pleased with the way they are turning out.  Lots more to do though.

And seeing as last week's peek inside my drawers went down so well, I thought I would show you another one. This is my ribbon box - the larger bits are wound around card and the smaller bits are in jars sorted by colour - purdy!

I thought I had visited a fair few last week but the list on Julia's blog gets longer and longer - I do try though.  And we do love to see, because sharing is caring.

Bye for now
xx

New Year's Resolutions!

Happy New Year!

Did anyone see where this year went?  And in particular this December?  I wish the first 24 days of December went by so quickly as a child!  It is the last night of the year and I can honestly say this has been one of the most frenetic and topsy turvy years of my life.  Christmas was wonderful but difficult too with various family issues, some old and some new.  In the main though, both of the children and also myself were thoroughly spoiled.  We ate so much and I put on more weight that I knew was physically possible in one week and we just spent time as a family which was wonderful.  Management had to work a few days and is working tomorrow as he doesn't drink so he always does the New Year's Day shift.  We'll be heading over to have lunch with him and get some much needed fresh air, even if it is raining!  I swear I could be abducted by aliens, dropped back to earth and have absolutely no idea which time of the year it is - it seems to have been mild and wet for the entire year.

Getting some fresh air is one of my main resolutions for the coming year.  I have many plans, some big and some small, but there are a lot of things that need to change.  Like many people, the New Year will see me getting back to my Slimming World plan (I've still been going to the weigh ins), heading back to the gym (with my new kit, water bottle and my new iPhone!!) and generally looking after myself a bit more.  B starts pre-school next week so it will be a little extra breathing time for me to achieve some of the things I plan to.  I would really like to be able to run outside and one of my aims for the year is to do the 5km Eastleigh Park Run.

As well as looking after myself physically, of course I need to REALLY look after myself mentally.  I have really struggled over Christmas, possible virally induced, probably exacerbated by too much of the wrong food etc but I am hopeful that a return to normal routine will help.

I read Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project over the Summer and so much of a struck a cord with me so I will be revisiting that book and using some of the advice to see if I can have me my very own happiness project.  I know crafting will be right up there of course and I have great plans to finish off some half completed projects.  I've done more scrapbooking in the last year than in the whole time since I started (I started collecting bits and being interested about 6 years ago but only actually started in earnest about 3 years ago).  Both Management and I also want to find some time for reading though too.  We used to devour books and we've both been given some new ones for Christmas but its finding the time.  I am going to try getting up earlier in the mornings as I only doze once the children are up anyway.  Who knows, it might even help me sleep!

Well that's an awful lot of changes for one person and I won't pretend it will be easy or that I will get all of it done but if I make an effort, that will be a start.

So raise a glass with me to toast the New Year, the year of the Olympics and the Golden Jubilee, and most importantly, the year when I achieve at least some of my goals.  What are your resolutions or do you not make them?  What would you like to achieve this year?  If you fancy some company on the journey, let me know.

Cheers!