Wednesday 29 January 2014

Monday 27 January 2014

New Year resolutions in review


Well January is almost over and in years gone by it's about this time I have given up on most of my New Year resolutions.  To keep myself motivated I thought I would review my progress from time to time just to check things are on track!  This is how things have been going so far:


  1. Be in the moment.  You know what, this is the resolution I thought I would be TERRIBLE at I double, sometimes triple screen all the time but I have really been putting in the effort to leave my phone or ipad upstairs and focus on the here and now.  In addition I am on day two of the Headspace Take10 programme involving ten minutes of mindfulness meditation a day, so far so good I will let you know how this one pans out!
  2. Take every opportunity to exercise.  Progress is a bit 50/50 on this one.  On the one hand I have taken up netball once a week and there is talk of starting spinning classes as well.  On the other hand I have been driving to work instead of walking because it is so damn rainy!  Progress for sure but a lot of room for improvement as well.
  3. Be organised about lunches.  Again... yes and no.  To be honest MozzyMr is being organised about lunches, cooking up batches of delicious food for us to take to work.  From my point of view I'm being organised in the sense that I am packing my lunch the night before instead of running around frantically gathering bits and bobs in the morning.  Yesterday I cooked up a batch of sweet potato, garlic, ginger and leek soup I can't wait for 12 o'clock!
  4. Reconnect with friends.  This one has been great fun.  We had our lovely friends Ruth, Dan, Laura and Matt around for dinner and drunken catch-ups, I've been to the cinema with my lovely friend Mel, I've reconnected with long time friend Bekah and lovely ex-colleague Sarah at our new found netball practice.  There has been a lot of fun over the best month and more planned so I can't wait!
  5. Allotment time.  Well the weather has royally screwed me over for this resolution.  Every weekend it has rained and rained and rained.  We did manage to snatch an hour or two last weekend and worked on the bed in the polytunnel but apart from that we just have to wait.  Next Saturday is a bonfire day at the allotment.  MoMa and MoPa have given MozzyMr and early birthday present of an incinerator (think metal dustbin with a chimney) which means come rain or shine we will be doing a burn next Saturday!
  6. Seek out culture.  Oh my days the tickets are stacking up!  I have another Drowned Man visit booked it, tickets to see comedian Jon Richardson as well as tickets to the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show!  This Thursday MozzyMr and I will be see the live streaming of Coriolanus at our local Picture House... all very exciting! 
  7. Be more efficient with chores.  Nah this hasn't really happened at all but then there is still time to improve on this one!

So how have your resolutions been going?

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Taking Stock

This is my third 'Taking Stock' post but the first of 2014!  You can find the first 'Taking Stock' here, and the second here.  The original 'Taking Stock' idea was posted on the blog Meet Me at Mikes.

Making: time to spend with my friends
Cooking: brownies 
Drinking: Diet Coke and coffee by the bucket load
Reading: 'Our Movie Year' by Harvey Pekar
Wanting: the rain to stop
Looking: for cultural experiences to grasp!
Playing: Zelda: Skyward Sword
Deciding: on where to have a holiday this year
Wishing: the weekend would come around quicker
Enjoying: spending time with MozzyMr
Waiting: to find out if I can go on adventures this year....
Liking: netball, I have just started so lets see how it goes :)
Wondering: if The Drowned Man will be extended further into 2014...
Loving: snatching time on the allotment between rain showers
Pondering: Graphic Novels as an art form, I have to say I'm very pro
Considering: which seeds to plant this year
Watching: Series 3 of Sherlock on repeat and Call the Midwife
Hoping: my friend who is going through a bad time at the moment catches a break
Marvelling: at how the weekends are filling up already, the diary is getting pretty full!
Needing: a big fat lie in on Saturday morning
Smelling: the coffee
Wearing: midi skirts, there is still time to shed the pounds before summer!
Following: my own path and not worrying about how people perceive me
Noticing: signs of spring popping up
Knowing: things are on the up
Thinking: about what to have for dinner
Feeling: on top of things
Admiring: Harvey Pekar's work
Buying: or at least trying to find a decent pair of jeans
Getting: together bits and bobs to donate to the charity shop
Bookmarking: articles about San Diego
Opening: parcels with some cheeky January sale purchases within...
Giggling: how daft things can seem when you stop worrying about them.

If you want to do your own Taking Stock here is the list for you to copy and paste:

Making:
Cooking:
Drinking:
Reading:
Wanting:
Looking:
Playing:
Deciding:
Wishing:
Enjoying:
Waiting:
Liking:
Wondering:
Loving:
Pondering:
Considering:
Watching:
Hoping:
Marvelling:
Needing:
Smelling:
Wearing:
Following:
Noticing:
Knowing:
Thinking:
Feeling:
Admiring:
Buying:
Getting:
Bookmarking:
Opening:
Giggling:
Feeling:

Monday 20 January 2014

#100happydays

I saw a lot of my work colleagues and online chums taking part in #100happydays on Instagram recently.  I umm'd and ahh'd about taking part because I didn't want to be seen to be jumping on the bandwagon, but what a great bandwagon to jump on?!  In the spirit of positivity I have been trying to live by recently I started snapping away... here are my first 10 days.

1. The random stuff we have in our house is great.  I overlook it during the coming and going of everyday life but every so often an item will catch my eye and make me smile.  On this occasion it was the glow in the dark dinosaur on the mantelpiece in our kitchen.

2. I suspect Mewster will feature heavily in my #100happydays, she is such a lovely cat, bursting with character and nothing but good natured and gentle.

3. This lot.  The simple things like having a drink or two, eating home cooked food and playing Mario Kart on the N64 whilst wearing a mushroom hat.

4. Further daft stuff found in our house. Stoofer, a gift from the lovely Bonny and Andy who I hope to see very, very soon.

5. Loving reading American Splendor by Harvey Pekar, how did I not introduce graphic novels into my life sooner?

6. Wilkos is one of my favourite shops, and if you own an allotment or enjoy gardening in anyway it should be one of yours too!  I love it when they get their spring stock in, browsing the seeds, planning what to grow and buying plants for the back garden is such a happy thing.

7.  Mewster again!  She is so relaxed around us and I love it when she basks in sunbeams.  Those paws!

8. *Excitement* MozzyMr putting the first seeds of 2014 in the ground.  We're perhaps a week or two early putting the broad beans in the ground but we couldn't wait any longer so in they went!

9. Nature being a bit lush.

10. Having this little creature by my side whilst recovering from a cold, she knows when I'm under the weather and snuggles up until I'm well again.

Friday 10 January 2014

Happy Friday

Well Happy Friday one and all!  I am very excited to be meeting up with two of my favourite ex-colleagues this evening and then tomorrow evening we'll be having four fabulous friends around for dinner, drinks and catch-ups, can't wait!

Whatever you guys are up to this weekend, have a good one!

Huehuehue look out Mewster Momma gonna knit you a sweater!

*Sigh* this is me, I don't know how aware the cat is of the power she holds over me.

This little chap just looks so happy to be having a little scrub.  Aww.

Dunno if you've heard but shit's frozen over in America.  No one had really mentioned it so I thought I would let you know.



Thursday 9 January 2014

Life lately

  1. Getting to see Ghostbusters with live action the weekend before Christmas!
  2. Christmas Day and Mewster enjoyed playing in the piles of wrapping paper
  3. Embracing old lady hood and tuning into Radio 4 over the Christmas holidays
  4. Mewster helping MozzyMr complete a jigsaw puzzle
  5. A fab Christmas present from MozzyMr
  6. Itching to start reading it but trying to be disciplined and finishing what I am currently reading first!
  7. A classic tea towel to add to MozzyMr's collection
  8. New boots!  Sadly my go to pair of El Naturalista boots finally broke over the holidays and I had to replace them with these beauties
  9. Getting to spend lots of time with this classy beast over the holidays was great I miss her furry face when I'm at work 


 10, 11 and 12. Becoming obsessed with the American Splendor graphic novels
 13. Tiring of this never-ending rain
 14. Little Mewster hanging with the humans!
 15. Glow in the dark dinosaurs are the best!
 16. Noticing texture
 17. Planning the allotment and getting all our seeds in order :)
 18. Digging out and cleaning up treasures for the ETSY shop!


Friday 3 January 2014

Happy Friday

Well it has been a two day working week for me, how very civilised.  My weekend plans are very weather dependant with any luck we will be able to get to the allotment for a bonfire and more digging, if not perhaps a trip to the studio is in order?

Whatever your plans are this weekend folks I hope you have a good one, Happy Friday!

To be fair this is blowing my mind a little bit, when people say ten years ago I still think of the 1990's not 2004.

Anyone who sees me on a regular basis will know that my obsession with stripy, Breton style tops knows no limit, and therefore this illustration must have been made just for me..



How Pop Tarts are made, so hypnotic...





Wednesday 1 January 2014

Happy New Year!


Well hello there 2014.  I gotta be honest 2014 I'm not keen on the weather you've brought with you, it is blowing a gale out there, the cat has cabin fever and MozzyMr is discombobulated.  BUT I already feel more positive about you then I did 2013, I didn't make resolutions last year but I thought I would make a couple this year just to keep in mind the good stuff.

  1. Be in the moment.  Eat fewer meals sat in front of the television, put the computer down more, read and well, be in the moment.
  2. Take every opportunity to exercise.  Yeah, yeah everyone says this one right?  I'm not too bad with the exercise thing but there is always room for improvement; don't hit the snooze button so many times I have to drive to work instead of walk, walk to the shops rather than driving, cycle and start swimming regularly again.
  3. Be organised about lunches.  In 2012 MozzyMr and I were pretty hot on making soups, salads and delicious lunches to take with us to work, but in 2013 that went out the window.  More and more I would grab a sandwich at work which are always completely overpriced and lack the vegetables our homemade lunches do.
  4. Reconnect with friends.  Last year all too often I would go for a quick drink after work rather than taking the time to organise different activities with old and new friends alike.  MozzyMr and I have seriously neglected a lot of our old friends so I aim to do lots of visiting, camping, hosting and generally catching up with the good folk I know and love.
  5. Allotment time.  OK so spending time at the allotment isn't something I really fail at, 2013 was a good year allotment wise for us.  But with a full plot now it's time for MozzyMr and I to plan our plot and our growing season properly.  Bulk is the key word, we've dabbled with growing this and that but this year I plan to grow the veg we know we like and use and grow it by the bucket load.
  6. Seek out culture.  Oh yes that's right I'm going to mention The Drowned Man again (!!) but it really unlocked a keen sense of wanting to engage with more culture.  Whether that be going to the cinema more, seeing more exhibitions, going to the theatre, reading more widely, going to the studio and embracing opportunities.
  7. Be more efficient with chores.  Yeeeeeah I let things pile up and then have a major mission to get the house tidy.  Little and often is the go for 2014.

Well that's probably enough to be getting on with, what resolutions/goals have you set this year?


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...