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Happiness Happens Month

August 31, 2017 by Bel Leave a Comment

August is by far one of my favourite months of the year – the kids are off school and I work from home, meaning I get to spend 100% of my free time with them. Whether we’re all just kicking around the house together, or whether we’re out and about on a holiday or day trip, we still get to be together all of the time. However I have to admit that my friendships have been a little neglected this August too. We haven’t seen our friends in Gainsborough since we moved in June, one of my best friend’s came for a visit at the end of July but I haven’t seen her all month either and my other best friend I hadn’t seen for ages – until today.

Did you know that August is Happiness Happens month? And that NRS Healthcare are big advocates of helping people feel better about themselves. They try to help adults feel connected and combat loneliness and with this in mind they made a great post called How to make new friends as an adult and live happily. While I absolutely love spending time with my family, there’s nothing like spending time with some adult company too. And while I’m not really one for heading out and making new friends, it does make me more determined to try and keep in touch with my current friends.

Send a quick text

My nearest friend lives only about 30 minutes from me and we tend to see each other once a week, or once every other week. However this summer we have both been so busy that I actually haven’t seen her since the very beginning of school holidays. Today I knew I was heading to a place very close to where she lives, taking the kids to a Maize Maze. A quick text, enquiring if she was about, lead to us meeting up unexpectedly and having a good old chat while the kids played on the adventure playground.

Comment or Like on Social Media

These days its very easy to keep up with friends, with things like Twitter and Facebook – and of course blogs. You read about someone’s life and often feel like you’re keeping in touch, even when you’re not. However why not take a few minutes to leave a comment on a post and let your friend know you are following their adventures. My other best friend is in Disneyland Paris this week and unexpectedly we had a quick chat this morning, just because she commented on my Instagram story.

Host an event

For a few years now, I have been Queen of Organisation in our social group. Most years there are at least 3-4 Murder Mysteries, several board game nights and dinner out for birthdays. However as of last year, organising events definitely slowed down and lives got very busy. It’s so easy to invite a couple of friends round, or even a whole host of them. You can keep it simple with a takeaway and games like Jackbox on the TV, or you can host a full on murder mystery of escape room evening. I’ve been eyeing up an escape room game, so it might be something I have to get organising!

Family are friends too

It’s easy to forget that hanging out with family, can be just as nice as hanging out with friends. Again, with busy lives its sometimes hard to coordinate but if you make an effort it’s usually possible. This summer break we arranged to meet up with my brother and his partner for a coffee – which then turned into going out for lunch – which then turned into going out the following day to Bradford and visiting the Museum of Science and Media.

Of course there are loads of ways to keep in touch with people and everyone has their own preference. It’s just important to remember that we can all feel lonely at times and its good to have some company. Apparently loneliness can be as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day – so keep in touch with your friends!

Escape the Room

May 9, 2017 by Bel Leave a Comment

Back in March it was Chris’ birthday and we never really know what to do for it as he’s one of those “I’m not really bothered” people. However I love to throw a party so I always want to try and do something. Over the time we’ve been together, we’ve had an Alice in Wonderland murder mystery, a board games night and also just going out for dinner with a group of friends. However this year we had tossed around the idea of an “Escape the Room” (sometimes called Exit Room). Having looked into it locally, to see what was available, we decided it was definitely something we could do, if enough of our friends were interested. Obviously there would be Chris and I, so that was already two and most rooms only allow for five/six people (some do go higher but it’s not common and some are even just five – which is awkward when you’re in couples!). We asked my friend Nat and her partner Dan, who Chris gets on well with, along with Chris’ friend Jon and his partner Becka. We also asked my brother and his partner, but they weren’t able to make it – which in the end turned out better with us only being able to accommodate six players. We did however decide to go out for dinner at Frankie and Benny’s beforehand and my brother (who is also Chris) and his partner Erika, came along to join us for that.

Before I get too ahead of myself, for those of you who are wondering “what is an escape room?” well the answer is fairly simple and pretty much as it sounds. You are placed in a room – and you need to escape. There are always varying scenarios, whereby you’re trapped, locked in etc and you need to find the way out. It’s not as simple as just finding the door, or a key etc. it’s supposed to last up to an hour and so it’s a series of clues and puzzles. Usually, the game is timed and you have 60 minutes – the concept being that you get locked in for good if you can’t escape in that time. However of course, they have to let you out so they can continue to let other people play – but it’s fun to pretend and I guess you walk away as either a winner for managing it or a loser for not managing it.

So given where we live, the best choices for us were Lincoln, Doncaster and Scunthorpe for the Escape Rooms. Lincoln however, has very “Lincoln” themed rooms – with themes like the Magna Carta, Lancaster Bomber, Time Machine (Tank related), and Lincoln Imp. None of these themes really appealed to us, so we narrowed it down to Scunthorpe and Doncaster fairly easily. Doncaster had Clueless Detective Agency, Ward 13 (Asylum), and Hostage. They have a new one called The Heist coming but that hasn’t opened yet. Scunthorpe only had two options, Sherwood and Prison. Since there wasn’t an awful lot of information or way to tell which would be best, we went for Scunthorpe as it was marginally nearer and since the Prison one had a higher difficulty rating, we went for that. In truth I think that Chris might have preferred to do Ward 13 but having never done anything like this before, I was a bit of a baby – wondering if there would be live action actors in there and then I’d get freaked out!

On the night of Chris’ birthday, after we’d had dinner, we all headed off to “Open the Door” in Scunthorpe. When we arrived, we had to read these information sheets about what we were or weren’t allowed to do, then we had to store all our coats, bags and especially phones, inside a locker. Next we had to split into two groups (though I think this was specific to this scenario). We were then blind folded and lead into the room, in the two separate groups. When we took off the blind folds, you could see why we had to break into two groups – because three of us were locked in one cell and three were locked in the other. Typically we had split into girls versus boys and I’m glad we did cos often boys annoy you when their methods are different to yours! The three of us girls worked well together too, so it all worked out.

First we had to figure out what was in the cell. There was writing on the wall, a tool box under the bed and a sink. We could also hear the boys, but not see them, as their cell was right next door to us. We could see out into the main part of the jail too – where a desk, mirror and lockers could be seen. While I don’t want to spoil the actual plot and clues for anyone who goes here, I will give you a rough idea of what we had to do – starting with the fact the boys found a torch in their sink pipe, so we thought to look in ours too and found one as well. We weren’t really against each other either, so it was nice to throw about ideas between the boys and the girls. The things on the wall lead us to believe we had to figure out some number combinations as we had two lots of combination locks in our cell. The boys had something handing from the ceiling they couldn’t reach and it turned out that one of our combination locks, opened a box that allowed a string to be lowered and they could reach the box! Anyway, we had to do multiple things in our cells, which eventually lead to finding a remote control car under the lockers out of the cell, which when driven to the cell, had keys in that meant we could unlock ourselves. Once in the main room, there were so many things we had to do, including get inside two lockers, figure out how the desk drawer unlocked, see if the telephone did anything, why the mirror was hinged etc. There was a jigsaw type puzzle, as well as some number/letter puzzles and it was really a lot of fun. In the end we made our way through to a secret room, where there was map and coordinated, a little laptop and a safe. We had so much fun and no one got mad and shouted at any point.

We made it out in 52 minutes, when the deadline is 60, so we were all pretty pleased with that. I will admit we did have a little help from the “admin” as they give you an Altech radio and occasionally point you in the right direction. For our first experience though, it was a definite thumbs up and we all agreed it was something we would love to do again. After discussing it with the kids the next day, it also sounds like something they would like to do, so we hope to do another, maybe with the girls and even my mum. All in all, I loved the idea of the puzzles and a scenario where you need to escape. It wasn’t too hard but just the right amount of adrenaline pumping, in order to get you excited. From a specific perspective, the Open the Door rooms in Scunthorpe were actually easy to miss on the street and when we had mentioned them to the waitress at Frankie and Benny’s, she didn’t even know they existed. However the service we got was fantastic and friendly, we rated them 5 stars on facebook when we got back and I would be happy to recommend their rooms to anyone. As someone who loves to throw Murder Mystery parties, I have seen they now do at home Escape the Room games and I would definitely be up for trying that too.

Have you ever done an Escape Room?

Monthly Round-up – March

April 14, 2017 by Bel Leave a Comment

Watching: Given that it’s mid-April before I write this, I have very little recollection of what I watched, other than what I made a note of in my phone. I watched several Netflix series including; The OA, Friends with Better Lives,
Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, and Iron Fist but I don’t remember which others. I watched the newest Annie movie. I also re-watched Cinderella and Guardians of the Galaxy. As well as keeping up with Bones, Holby City, Casualty, Riverdale, Grimm, New Girl etc. I saw Beauty and the Beast at the cinema.
Sewing & Making (for Closet Geek): March was pretty crazy for orders, always seeming like I had a few more than I could cope with. However I managed to get through them and that’s what counts! I announced a Wonderland Giveaway for the monthly box, plus made LOADS of ears and bows, along with a Belle dress, two Briar Rose dresses, a Boys Woody top and waistcoat and a girls Woody dress. There was also a huge wave of orders for Infinity scarves after Roisin from Disneyfind, shared the scarf I sent her. I think I made 15 in one week and since then the orders dribble in still! Of course there was a technicolour dreamcoat and a pharaoh costume too which you can read more about below! Finally with the upcoming 25th Anniversary for DLP, I designed some ears which have proved very popular too!

And in other news…
– One of the first things that happened this month was Lily’s birthday, when she turned 9. We had a very calm day, making lego in the morning, Pizza Hut for lunch and then chilling out when we got home until bedtime.
– World Book Day was also at the beginning of this month and since last year Lily had gone as Harley Quinn, before it was super popular to be Harley Quinn, this year she went as Dr Harleen Quinzel. She looked absolutely fabulous. Megan didn’t get to dress up now she’s at secondary school, which is sad!

– Megan broke up with her boyfriend – her choice. It wasn’t especially dramatic but she did feel pretty bad afterwards so us three girls went shopping and I taught the girls about retail therapy ;)
– One of the most life changing things that happened this month is that we finally got an offer on the house. March 13th. After having the house on the market for almost a year, and after living here for almost 4 years when we only intended it to be 1 or 2. Fingers crossed it’s all proceeding well as we have accepted the offer since then, the “sold” sign went up on 20th, we had the survey done and started to complete the forms. More info to follow!
– Lily and I went on her school trip, to Cadbury World near Birmingham. It’s always really nice to share school trips with the girls but this time it was especially nice as Lily and I even sat together on the coach. It was a long and tiring day, especially as Lily was full of cold but we both enjoyed ourselves.
– Amy and Liv came to visit for the weekend and although we didn’t do a lot, we seemed to keep busy. We didn’t pick them up till fairly late on Friday so all we did was drink and catch up, but then Saturday we saw Beauty and the Beast, plus went to Meadowhall and had Five Guys. On Sunday we just hung out while I got some work done, until eventually I took them back to the station.
– Chris’ birthday was the 20th and it was nice to spend the day together, even though the girls weren’t around to enjoy it at all. We went into Lincoln in the morning to do some shopping but it threw it down with rain all day so we cut it short and came home. In the evening we met with friends and went to Frankie and Benny’s for dinner and then did an “Escape the Room” game which was amazing. Hopefully I will post about that soon!
– Not really a big fan of Red Nose Day (or Children in Need for that matter) but always happy to donate £1 to non-uniform and a red nose etc. However I did love that there was a “Red Nose Day Actually” short, like an update to Love Actually – and I cried and found it amazing too.
– Then came Mother’s Day. The girls made a mistake with my gift and ended up upset but it really didn’t matter as it was lovely to spend the day with them and then with my own mum too at lunch time. We went out to a restaurant called Meat Inc. that does amazing burgers and I was really hoping to review but completely forgot to take pics! Maybe next time we visit I will remember.
– I can’t remember if I mentioned this last month or not but Lily was given the part of Pharaoh in her school play – Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat. She was really excited (and nervous) as it was a big part but I knew she would be amazing (AND SHE WAS!). I offered to make the technicolour dreamcoat for school and Lily’s Pharaoh costume too. I was the last of the family to see her play (with everyone else seeing it Monday and Tuesday, and Megan and I waiting till Wednesday) but it was pretty decent. I got embarrassed at the end however as I got given a bunch of flowers and a very public thank you, for helping with the costumes.
– One of the last things we did in March was have some friends around for socialising. We played Jackbox all night and it was a lot of fun. I’m really glad we’re finding more time to do that, although I do wonder if moving will effect these nights!

Looking forward to in April:
– Easter Holidays! I love love LOVE having the girls off school – not just for having them around, but also for saving myself three hours in a car for the school run. We don’t have too much planned but you never know!
– We have tickets to see Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat at Skegness on Easter Weekend. After it was announced that Lily’s school would be doing the play, she took such an interest that I suggested booking tickets. I’m so glad I did as she was then given a great part and really loved the play. I can’t wait for her to see it done on a big stage.
– Mum’s birthday is in April. We probably won’t do much but I’ve already bought her present and no doubt we’ll all go out for lunch.

Hello 2017

January 3, 2017 by Bel Leave a Comment

On New Year’s Eve I wrote a post reflecting on 2016 and so today I want to look forward to 2017. As it’s already 3rd January I’m sure it’s probably clear that a whole “new me” is not on the horizon. I think I’ve learned from previous years, that that’s not the best route for me. Instead little changes, positive attitude and a hope for better things, is the direction I would like to go.

This Year I will:

Get a better grip on my finances. As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, I have a lot of debt – largely from my time as a single mum (I mean, I’m technically still a single mum but I have a very supportive partner now). For a few years, I just buried my head and the debt got worse but then two years ago it all hit me and I had to stop avoiding it. 2016 was the year I finally started to get that debt down and while I definitely managed to stop adding to it and clear one particular lump of debt, I still have a fair way to go. I have a specific target in mind by the end of the year and that will hopefully lessen my debt by about a third.
Work hard on my business, Closet Geek. It would be a lie to say I don’t work hard on it already as to be honest its my main focus, after the kids. I have thoroughly enjoyed working from home this last year and despite how crazy busy it has gotten at times, I wouldn’t change a thing. This year I am aiming to add at least 6 more product ranges (don’t ask me what, I have no idea yet) and hopefully more variations of the products I already sell. That said, I must remember to take time out and relax (which is hard because I often get into a flow).

Weight Loss is something I want to focus on this year. I haven’t jumped into any kind of diet yet as there is still a lot of bad food kicking around the house. However I am trying to regulate myself and not eat too my rubbish and when routine starts over again and I start cooking evening meals from scratch, I aim to make healthy dishes and avoid any junk. Last year I felt uncomfortable in my skin and it stopped me from dressing up, cosplaying and even feeling like I wanted to make any sort of effort. Its amazing what a knock on effect feeling overweight can have to all areas of life. I also want to try walking more often, especially as life isn’t so hectic that I need to save every minute of time by hopping in the car.
Last year was a wonderful change to family life, working from home instead of feeling stressed in the job I had previously (I actually can’t believe I walked out on that job 2 years ago – I’ve honestly never regretted it). I managed to attend so many of the kids events at school and I’m sure I will be doing so again this year. That said I want to make time outside of those events, to do things as a family. The kids love to play board games (we had a day doing that during holiday), go swimming and play computer games (Lily and I have played Lego Harry Potter for most days of the holidays) so I want to make more time for fun, not just scheduled events. I also want to make more time for Chris as he often gets neglected, just because he “understands more”. On evenings when he’s not at work, I need to step away from my sewing or even my computer and just be with him – doing whatever it is we feel like doing.

This year I would like to:

Moving house is definitely top of the list for things I’d like to do in 2017. Sadly not a huge amount of that decision is in our hands, but we need to try wherever possible. From the house going on the market last April, till now, we’ve only had two viewings. I think there has been many reasons to that but largely the price recommended by the agents is too high. We do have another viewing tomorrow so we will see how that goes but at some point this year we will have to make some firmer decisions – perhaps to change agents, sell at a loss, or whatever other options there might be.
During January I have a weekend away booked with the girls, to Disneyland Paris. However as much as I’m looking forward to it, I’d really like a nice week away somewhere abroad. Top choice for this year would definitely be Italy and ideally during the warm weather. Chris booking holidays at work can be a pain though as he can often only get out of school holiday time. With Megan now at secondary school I am loathed to take them out of school for a holiday, so it’s definitely going to be a juggling act – and of course available money. If we can’t get away this year, I would definitely love to book something bigger for next year – maybe a two week holiday somewhere further afield like the US.

This Year I will try:

Yesterday I was in a position (as I often am) where one of the girls asked if we could do something (something they had been asking for a while and have been saying “soon” to) and my immediate answer was “yes, tomorrow”. Now although that might seen immediate to you, it’s really only because it was that day or tomorrow that we needed to do it, before it was too late. But my reaction was still the latter, not the actual immediate. However after I walked away, I thought “actually, why can’t we just do it now?” and so that’s what we did. Basically I really want to stop putting things off till tomorrow and just get on with them. Because tomorrow never really comes and before you realise it, you’ve been putting everything off and never getting anything done.

When we went swimming, the girls and I, I was reminded of how much I enjoy it and, that despite not going very often, I’m still pretty good at it. While I don’t always want to go when they suggest it, I did realise I could take them and just watch (they’re both old enough now), but also I could go when they’re at school and just swim lengths. It would be a great way to make time for me, get fitter and even find time to shower! I don’t want to set myself a frequency but I would like to swim more.
As I mentioned last year, our friendship group is a little bit fractured now and so in the past 12 months I haven’t thrown any large group events. I think its probably easiest to just see each group of working friendships, by themselves, whenever there is time, rather than force everyone to get together. Last year we did enjoy a meal out as a group of friends, a cinema trip as a double date and a few times having friends around for dinner. I would like to continue that this year, making more of an effort but hopefully making time for everyone.
Finally I should probably give my blog a mention. At this time of year it’s always easy to say “I’ll post more”, or “I’ll post frequently” but the truth is when life gets busy, my blog takes a backseat. I also often find that I lose inspiration for what to write at times and it can become just one big life update that people probably aren’t that interested in. I’m ditching Project 52 (as I did towards the end of last year) as I always forget to take pictures weekly). Instead I might do something monthly, as I did with my round-ups (which definitely suits me better so I will be sticking to those). I’d like to keep updating about books I read (which maybe should have been another bulletpoint as I really should read more) and movies we see at the cinema but past that I’m uncertain of the direction my blog will take. I am considering various options though so watch this space!

Bank Holiday Weekend – Saturday

August 29, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

It’s Saturday night and I’m coming to you live from a London Travelodge!! We’ve had a fab day, traveling on the train from Newark to London, then checking in and enjoying London. The train journey went great and everything was on time for a change. We traveled the tube to our Travelodge in Hounslow Central though and this took ages!

On the way back, we got off at Knightsbridge and met up with my friend Tim for lunch at the Disney Cafe in Harrods. The food was pretty expensive and the cafe was nothing special, but the service and food was good and the girls got “free” Disney ears. Afterwards we went to Harrods Disney Store. It was much nicer than a lot of Disney Stores I’ve been in and they did seem to have things that other stores didn’t. I bought Megan a beautiful jacket and to be fair to Lily, she got some Disney Infinity characters. Finally we headed out and went for a wander, before deciding to grab coffee and sit for while to chat. At 5pm Tim needed to go so we said our farewells. The girls and I did the London Eye (thanks to Avios Reward Scheme) which was great and then finally we traveled back to the Travelodge for dinner.

Dinner was very average but it hit the spot. We then went back to the room and collapsed. We’re now heading to bed, though we’ll probably watch X Factor first!!

Minnie Mouse in the Harrods Disney Store

Week 30 – Monday Round-up

July 27, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

This week has been a fab week and I’m hoping there are more to come! I’ve been very well behaved with my diet which is giving the motivation to continue and that in itself makes some days easier! Also the kids broke up from school this week and that has been so nice, spending loads of time together but more importantly, not even needing to get dressed on some days!!

On Monday Megan didn’t feel very well and so the girls didn’t go to school. Sure it was a little naughty to keep Lily off too but we were all wishing we were on Summer Holiday already that we probably needed a day! We were incredibly lazy and did nothing all day. It was actually very nice. However I did manage to get some sewing done and finally finished the Briar Rose cosplay outfit I was working on for Amy.

On the Tuesday, the girls went back to school and Chris was off work so we had one of those days when we got all sorts of little bits done. We took his drum kit to a friend’s house as he was selling it, we went shopping, we went out for lunch and eventually we headed back to pick the girls up from school. It was a nice day but I’d hoped to get loads more sewing done and that didn’t happen! I did however manage a lovely long bath in the evening, a read of my book and an early night.

Wednesday was the girls last day at school, so we headed out with presents and cards galore. Chris was at work all day and I had website training for the Saxilby School website, round at my mum’s house. The training took all morning and then after everyone left, Mum and I had lunch. In the afternoon we headed down to storage to sort it out, as we’re hoping to hand the keys back next week. It didn’t take half as long as we expected so I headed back to mum’s for another cup of tea before eventually going to get the girls. Once I picked them up we popped to the post office, to get petrol and then eventually to Pizza Hut. This is fast becoming our end of term/summer tradition as we’ve now been to Pizza Hut every summer for about the last five years!

When we were finished, we headed home and it was still pretty early (especially since the girls were now on holiday time bed time) and we all settled down to chill. Lily went on her computer, Megan her iPad and I sat down to finish off the book I had been reading on Kindle. When it was time for Lily to head to bed we read some James and the Giant Peach which was the current bedtime read. Megan went a while later and eventually Chris got home from work and we headed to bed not long after.

On Thursday we were all wanting a lazy day (though Chris was at work) and so we did a whole lot of nothing till midday. However we got lunch, got dressed and headed out in the afternoon to get Megan’s ears pierced. She was incredibly brave and I was honestly so surprised. I bought her some extra earrings for when her ears are healed and she is allowed to change them, and also some magnetic ones for Lily so she didn’t feel left out.

Since we’d paid for parking anyway, we went to get coffee from Costa. Megan had a Mint Choc Chip, while Lily had Belgian Chocolate, mine was technically the only coffee as I had a Caramel Latte. We shared a mint choc chip cake too and it was delicious. After we finished out coffee we walked around for a little bit but then headed home. Once we were home we unpacked some boxes from my car and started to go through them. They were a mixture of photos, scrap books and cuddly toys, as well as a box of my old memories, dating right back to school and including school reports and letters I’d received from friends.

The rest of the day was just spend doing out own things, relaxing or getting work done etc. Next came Friday and that started off fairly lazy too. However both the girls needed showers as they were going to their dad’s house and we weren’t sure what the situation was with showering there (they just moved house!). We grabbed showers, packed a bag and then their dad arrived to take them away. Next came a message from Amy to say her and Liv were on time with train and since Chris was going down to catch the train they were getting off, I walked down with him and waited at the station.

Once Amy arrived (and Chris left), we went to Aldi on the way back and then came home. We didn’t do an awful lot with the day, just occupied Liv and chatted to catch up on the last few weeks. Eventually Liv went to bed, we had jacket potatoes for dinner and then chatted some more. The wine came out and Chris arrived home with even more for us. We all sat watching YouTube videos for Five Nights at Freddy’s and it was really nice.

The next day I woke up because Chris had a driving lesson. I got up and started to make some bows for the girls to wear to the cinema that day, but sadly it didn’t work out! The day ended up a bit rushed – heading out to get the girls from their dad, mum getting a flat tyre, coming home to get changed and heading out to the cinema again. However in the end it all worked out and we made it to the movie on time!

Everyone loved Inside Out and I was so glad we’d booked to see it early. To be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up going to see it again! Once it was done (we stayed till the end but there was no extra clip!) we headed out and went for a walk around Scunthorpe. It wasn’t somewhere I had been before and I was curious as to what shops were available. We popped into Primark (and Chris did CEX) and then wandered back to the car. Even better it was free parking all day Saturday so I think it’s somewhere we would go again.

Picture taken from @livvybirdadventures Instagram

We came back home and once we’d settled, ordered takeaway. It was our one weekend treat but it was so good. There were burgers, chips, pizza, garlic bread and donner kebab. I was stuffed afterwards and knew I’d have put on several pounds! In the evening once everyone was in bed, Amy and I relocated to the dining room and I made the finishing touches to her Briar Rose dress (the zip and hem). After that we were all tired and so headed to bed.

In the morning, the kids all got up and since I stirred I figured I would get up too. Amy and I sat chatting as always and Chris went upstairs to play on his computer. Eventually I had to get the girls ready for going back to their dad’s for the day, so we left around 10.30am. By the time I came back, there wasn’t long before Amy needed to go, so we measured out the Wendy dress pattern so I could get on with that and figured out what else needed doing to her Snow White dress. After that I took Amy and Liv to the station, it was pretty miserable as it was raining. Once they had left, I went to Tesco and did some shopping, coming back and getting myself upset about how empty the house was!

Chris humoured me for a while so I wasn’t lonely but in the end I settled down to do absolutely nothing and just mong on my computer. The girls were back earlier than expected, so I had to figure out dinner for them. Chris went for a bath and the girls and I just spent the evening together. Finally the girls went to bed and Chris and I watched TV (well he did and I continued to do nothing on my computer). It was a nice end to a nice weekend but I’m looking forward to continuing on these nice days, for the next six weeks!

Parcel Genie – gift your friends

July 16, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

This week, I discovered a new app that I had never heard of before. Already I’ve used it four times and I have a feeling it will get a lot more use! Have you ever heard of Parcel Genie? It’s available in the app store for free and once you load it up, the basic concept is sending little gifts to your friends and loved ones.

First you pick the gift you want to send. There is a really large choice of gifts, most around £3-4 but ranging up to about £8-9. All prices include the postage too, so what you see is the price you actually pay. Add your friends mobile number and a personalised message if you want to, then move on to the payment. You can pay via Paypal or Debit and Credit card and it literally takes just a minute to do.

Next your friend will get a text message. This part can be a bit confusing because it looks like the text came from you, but hopefully your friend can figure it out! Your friend will then need to reply with their delivery address and Parcel Genie do the rest.

As I mentioned, I’ve used the app four times so far and from my experience of it, the gift is usually dispatched the very same day, if its done early enough I assume, and arrive the day after that. My mum, my partner and my best friend Amy, all got theirs the day after I ordered them.

As you can see, all the boxes are packaged really beautifully and they look like a lovely gift when they arrive. Of the three gifts I’ve seen so far, all fit through the letter box which is also a bonus and will save anyone a trip to the Post Office if they’re not in when the post arrives!

On top of all this, the app offers a shake function where you can win a discount on certain days. It also offers a tracking system, a reward card etc. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this app and like I said, I’m sure I will be using it a lot in the future.

However, you may be wondering what you will do if you don’t own a smartphone and can’t download the app! Well good news. Parcel Genie have just launched a new text website, that enables you to have many of the same features, without needing the app.

The site works almost exactly the same as the app. You go to the website, pick out a gift and then text Parcel Genie with what you want and who you’re sending it to. They will confirm the address with your friend and send out the gift. At the moment there isn’t as much choice on the website as there is on the app but its still a great idea. Send a little gift, on the go, in only moments! And even better. First time users of the website/text service will get a 50% discount too. What more reason do you need to give it a go?

Week 26 – Monday Round-up

June 29, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Another busy week but I’m actually getting around to doing this post early (it’s Sunday night!). Monday to Friday the kids were at school but Chris was off from Monday to Wednesday. After taking the kids to school on Monday, I settled down to finish of the Murder Mystery I’d been working tirelessly. It took me all day but I finally managed it by about midnight! Obviously I picked up the kids, had dinner etc. but for the most part my day was solely spent doing this.

On Tuesday Chris and I took the girls to school and then headed to the storage unit. We needed to grab a few things, including the futon, which meant taking furniture to pieces and packing it into the car. After that we headed back home but we needed to go to Tesco and visit Chris’ nan too. We decided to go to Chris’ nan first and stayed for about an hour, we then went shopping and did a good weeks shop. Finally we got back home and Chris offered to put the futon back together while I took a bath. For a change it was a really long bath, because I got quite into the book I was reading. When the girls got home from school, via their few hours with their dad, I managed to catch him about Megan getting her ears pierced. He agreed and she was thrilled!

On Wednesday I took the girls to school and Chris was out on his driving test (sadly he failed). When I got home, he arrived shortly after me and while we wallowed for a little while, he soon headed up on his computer and I got sewing for the day. I picked out a pattern to do, traced it and cut it out. I then stopped for lunch with Chris before heading out to Boyes and buying some material. I got back and cut out my pattern pieces but then it was time to pick the girls up from school. Megan was having her friend Elizabeth back for dinner and so that pretty much took up the rest of my evening.

Thursday Chris was back at work but my mum was coming around for the day so I still didn’t get an awful lot done. She read through my murder mystery completely though (noting the odd mistake) and she liked it, so that made me feel positively about the party on Friday. She stopped for lunch and didn’t leave till I went to get the girls from school. After school we went into town and made an appointment for Megan’s ear piercing. We also picked up the Snow White Tsum Tsums which had just been released from Clintons. In the evening I had my nephew (or sort of at least) overnight as my brother and his girlfriend were working the next day when he was off school and they had no one for the early part of Friday. The kids didn’t get that long together but they were no trouble. Once they were in bed I baked some cakes, trying to bake them flat for the first time ever. It was definitely an interesting experience.

On Friday morning I had three kids to get up and ready but again they were no trouble. I took all three to school with me, met up with mum and sat with her and Charlie to watch Megan’s assembly. After the assembly finished, Charlie and I headed off so I could take him home, via McDonalds for breakfast of course. By the time I got home, I had ten minutes to grab my breath before heading out to meet Amy and Liv. I walked down to the train station to meet them and then we all headed back to my house. Since the girls were going to my mum’s that night, we didn’t need to go out and get them from school. In the end we all just chilled out together, headed in to town for a little while, played with some Tsum Tsums and watched Walle. After Olivia went to bed, Amy and I got ready for the murder mystery and finished the cake.

The evening went really well and it was nice to hang with friends. The murder mystery worked fine too so that was a relief, though not having rounds of food to break it up with, meant that it all went pretty fast (we were naughty and ordered Dominos!). Even once we finished though, we all sat around chatting and since we were a small group, that was nice too. In the end we headed to bed around midnight.

In the morning, I managed a lie-in till 10.30am but I still felt tired! The kids arrived home around midday and since they all pretty much occupied themselves in the afternoon, Amy and I spent time together in the dining room – researching everything from Paris accommodation to cosplay ideas. We were still in the dining room when Chris came home from work at 10pm, though obviously we’d got the kids dinner and fed ourselves too. We headed to bed a little earlier than usual as we were pretty tired. However I managed to lie-in till 9am again the following morning!

This time the girls got up and occupied themselves quietly until we were all up. Then we all just sat together, had cups of tea and chatted. I took Amy and Liv to catch their train at 1pm, then came home and helped Megan with her homework. Chris and I spent the afternoon strimming and trimming the front garden and it took ages! Finally I came inside, hoovered around and then ended up sorting all my jewellery supplies out. After getting everyone (and myself) dinner, it wasn’t long before the girls headed to bed. I spent the evening cutting Chris’ hair and then when he went for a bath I watched Holby City while writing this blog post! We’re now settling down to watch Humans and I’m scheduling this post and turning off my computer. I imagine we’ll head to bed after one episode as I have to be up early in the morning!

Hope you all had a good week. See you again this time next week!

The Versatile Blogger Award

March 20, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

The lovely Aymie, over at Aymie Louise, recently nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. I’m incredibly grateful for the nomination and hope that any of my lovely readers who fancy stealing this award will do so. I nominate you all! I know that’s cheating a little (you’ll see why when you read the rules) but genuinely I haven’t done a lot of “finding new bloggers” recently as I’ve just been so busy. I love all my Bloggy Buddies though so if you want the award – it’s yours!

Rules for the award:

– Thank the blogger who nominated you.
– Tell your readers seven facts about yourself.
– Nominate 15 bloggers that you have recently discovered.

Seven facts about me:

1. I am the oldest member of my social circle of friends, by quite some amount. Forgetting my partner Chris (who is 5 years younger than me) and my brother Chris (who is 3 years younger than me), majority of my friends are 8-9 years younger than I am. I very rarely feel the age gap though, despite the fact I often take the leader/organiser role in the group.

2. I currently have 56 friends on Facebook. These are mostly close friends and family, with the odd exception. I have no-one on my Facebook from Primary School, only three from High School, no-one from University and five mum’s from the girls’ school. Majority of my friendships were made with people I met online through a website called Deckleswood.

3. When it comes to book/movie adaptations, I have some pretty strong views. If I watch the movie first, I’m unlikely to ever read the book afterwards. If I see something I might like and think I’ll enjoy, I always make sure I read the book first, even if that means watching the movie a lot later than it’s released. This topic has even inspired a blog series on my sister blog – Twice the Mum. You can read it every Wednesday in our “From Page to Screen” series.

4. Still talking about books, I also never (or at least extremely rarely) re-read a book. Doesn’t matter how much I enjoyed it, or even if I own it, I never choose to re-visit a story. My thought is really similar to that of traveling – in that there are so many places out there to visit, why restrict yourself to places you’ve already been. Yes it’s great to re-live memories, but it’s also amazing to broaden your horizons and make new memories. There are so many books and so many stories out there, why waste what time you have re-reading when you can discover something new.

5. I’m a total perfectionist, but rarely consider anything I do to be perfect. I set incredibly high standards for myself (and others) and never really manage to achieve them. Despite being told I bake good cakes, sew good clothes, write good stories etc. I hardly ever believe it. I don’t know if it’s low self confidence or just a lust to strive harder – that or I’m just genuinely rubbish and people lie to me!

6. The fastest way to make me function is hand me a cup of tea. This applies not only first thing in the morning, but really throughout the day and even into the evening. That said I can be a complete nightmare to be around if I haven’t eaten at the right times throughout the day too. Sometimes I get so grumpy and the only thing that can fix it is sitting down to some decent nosh.

7. I genuinely believe I am a good mum. I don’t believe I am the best or even perfect, but I know my children are healthy, happy and being brought up well and that’s largely because of me. Despite struggling to ever see myself in a completely positive light, the one thing I will always be proud of is my children and the fact they are a genuine credit to me. It’s unlikely that I will ever earn huge amounts of money, become famous or even have a career to speak of, but I will eventually die happy knowing that I brought those beautiful girls into the world and made them the best versions of themselves that they could be.

Everyone who reads my blog know things like that fact I’m a huge Disney and Harry Potter fan, so I tried to make these facts something different. If you’re a reader of my blog and you’ve seen this, please feel free to take the award and place it on your blog. I’d also love to see your answers so please feel free to leave your link in the comments and I promise to read them all!

Goals and Hopes for 2015

January 8, 2015 by Bel 1 Comment

So its been a week since New Year’s Day and I haven’t gotten around to posting about my New Year Resolutions yet! Part of that has just been because there has been so many other things to do, but partly it was deliberate – to see how the year got going. Last year in January, I posted about everything I hoped to do during the year. I then wrote a round-up post in December, talking about how well I’d gotten on. My hopes and goals covered everything from my blog, to my weight and fitness, to keeping in touch with friends. This year I want to do the same, especially given how much life has changed in the last 12 months.

On New Year’s Day, I involved the kids in a sort of “New Year” game. As I knew I wanted to write some resolutions, I encouraged them to do the same. We then decided we’d write them all down, roping Chris in to participate as well. It only took us about 10-15 minutes but it was a nice and fun activity to do as a family. Once we were done, we sealed them all in an envelope, to open next year and see how we got on. Lily made a copy of her resolutions, to place on the wall of her room to remind her. I’ll still be interested to see how everyone got on.

Above you can see Chris’, Megan’s and Lily’s New Year Resolutions. For the most part, Chris was just participating because we asked him to, but it was nice that he did. His resolutions included eating healthier, learning to drive and being a better boyfriend (haha!). Megan wants to blog more, start a YouTube channel and write a book. Lily really just wants to join in – writing a blog, helping Megan with a YouTube channel, and basically being a good little girl. A lot of Lily’s were her ideas, but they are based on things she has picked up around her or things she’s been moaned at for recently. Anyway, the point is, everyone wants to try and I guess we’ll see how we get on!

Put on the spot, I couldn’t really think of what I wanted to do. Above you can see what I managed. I’d like to reach my goal weight and maintain it. I’d like to work from home rather than have to look for another job. I’d like to get some of the outstanding DIY jobs done and get the house on the market for sale. I’d “like” to Vlog. I’d like to get more of a handle on my debt and money. I’d like to write a book. However, what I’d really like to do, is expand on these ideas and set myself some realistic targets for the year!

This is what I’ve come up with:

Blog Stuff
– One of the main things I wanted to do this year, was go self-hosted. It was actually something I hoped to get done last year, but what with one thing or another, I never got around to it. Since I was so determined to do it this year, I actually kick started the year that way. While I say it was a goal for 2015, I can actually confirm that I’ve already done it – my blog was officially moved to it’s own little space on January 6th.
– Last year, Amy and I organised a blog meet, best known as #LincsBlogMeet. I was really pleased with how well it went and would love to organise another this year.
– Overall I really just want to try harder with my blog this year. By the end of last year, I was posting daily, trying out new content and had gained almost 700 followers throughout the year. I’d like to continue on with this, making my blog thrive, getting myself out there and really just seeing what the blogging life will bring.

Money
– Ugh. This time last year, I’d gotten myself in quite a bad financial situation. I did manage to sort it out and get myself on a better footing. However, just weeks ago I managed to make myself jobless, so I really don’t know how I’ll end up financially. I’d love to get to grips with it all over the next year. While I can’t possibly imagine being any better off, this time next year, I do hope to have not gotten any worse.
– Sort of connected to this, I hope to be able to earn money in other ways, that don’t require actually getting a physical job. I’d love to earn money through blogging, jewellery making, clothes sewing or writing a book or murder mysteries.

Family
– This time last year, I hope to be able to save and book a family holiday. However this year we are embarking on the holiday of a lifetime – to Florida. I don’t plan to book any other holidays, because of that, but I do hope to provide everyone with an enjoyable time. I also hope to be able to book something smaller – just a few days break – perhaps around October half term time.
– I already know (and have noticed) that not working will make me a better mum. I was genuinely very miserable in my last job and I know at times it made me snappier and angrier than I should be. I hope to move forward in this year, keep my calm more, spend better quality time with the kids and really just be a happier, more pleasant mum to be around.

Friends
– I feel like I should make a resolution to ensure our group of friends continue to get together, though I’m honestly not sure what. With Florida coming up in April, we have basically said there will be no murder mysteries between now and then, largely to save on money. However already I’m itching to have a get together, so maybe I’ll have to sort something out. I guess the best I can do, it attempt to organise one event per month – be it a meal out, a games night, a quiet drink or whatever else. Ultimately money will be a very controlling factor of the get togethers this year.

House
– As I’ve previously mentioned, I really want to get on top of the house this year. We originally moved into this house in Gainsborough, in July 2013. The view was to work on the house for a year, looking to sell the following summer. However that year has been and gone and really only a few little bits have been tackled. This year I really want to get to grips with the house and maybe even get it on the market this summer. It would be lovely to be living back in Saxilby by Christmas.
– I’d love to be a better “house wife” this year. Over the last year, the house has really felt neglected. As well as actually painting and decorating, I’d like to be cleaner and tidier. Little things, even like doing the dishwasher daily, keeping on top of the washing etc. will all make a big difference to our lives.

Health and Fitness
– This is a really big one for me this year. I want to hit my target of 10 stone (that’s from 13 stone 3lb where I started last year), preferably by April and our Florida holiday. I’d then like to maintain that weight, throughout the year. I have already started to eat better, watching the calories, and I hope to actually get a bit more fit, toned and exercise. I’ve already been looking for an online self defense training course that spikes my interest. My plan is to work at home, and I’ve always been interested in learning a bit about martial arts and self defense as a whole, so it should make for a nice and useful workout. Yesterday I bought a sports bra, an armband to hold my phone and some earphones. A few days before, I also purchased an ab roller. Though I will admit I haven’t managed any fitness yet, I do hope to get myself motivated!

Creativity
– This year I will participate in NaNoWriMo. I really really wanted to last year, but it just wasn’t possible with plans for Megan’s birthday and also working. If I’m still not working by November, I will definitely participate.
– I hope to improve any and all creative skills this year. In the last few months of last year, my dressmaking skills really improved. I’d love to get more into my jewellery, try out my new Paper Panda kit, improve my cake making skills etc etc. I really hope with more time on my hands, I can definitely get in touch with my creative side.
– In an ideal world, I’d like to earn a living through one of my creative outlets. See Career!

Career
– I quit my job, literally 3 weeks ago. I didn’t plan to and I felt it was quite irresponsible of me, but I can’t deny I’m 100 times happier now. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll figure out all my finances and see where I stand. However my perfect career move at this time, would be to work from home. I have a variety of options and maybe all of them combined would be the best idea right now. However ultimately I’d like to be able to stay at home and concentrate more on being a mum, being creative, sorting out the house etc.
– While in an ideal world, I don’t want to go back to work, I know that it would be more responsible if I do. Getting a mortgage would be easier for a start, as would providing money into the household. As such, I plan to volunteer in school for some office work, to give myself experience. This to me is giving a negative situation (quitting my job) a positive outcome (getting experience). Once I have some experience, getting a job within school – in the office – would be far more enjoyable, than what I was doing before.

Life
– I wasn’t really sure where some of this stuff fit, so I decided to add an extra category. I guess a “me” category would also work. This year I would like to get a divorce and try to look for a credible divorce lawyer. I have been separated from my husband for over 4 years now and we’re still not divorced. I wouldn’t say I was in a rush to do it but I wish I could just justify £100 for one of these online divorce services.
– Vlogging. Perhaps you’re wondering why I didn’t put this in the blog section – well I’ll explain. I don’t want to vlog, in replacement of my blog. In fact, I don’t really “want” to vlog at all. What I do want to do, is push the boundaries of my comfort zone. Last year on my blog, I did about 3 outfit posts – something which a year ago I wouldn’t have thought possible. This year I’d like to vlog, even just once, just to push myself out of my comfort zone and into untested waters!
– Another tattoo.

Entertainment
– As always, something a little fun to end with. Movies, I’d love to do 52 again this year. I’d also like to have seen at least 6 movies at the cinema. I’m off to a good start, having already seen one in January!
– With regard to reading, I really want to manage at least one a month, if not more. Last year I failed miserably but that’s really because I felt like I had so much to do, that I didn’t have time for “down time”. This year I will make the most of me time and get more reading done. Target is 12 but I’d love to hit 24.

So there you have it – my aims, hopes, goals and resolutions for the New Year. None of them are “unbreakable” which is why I don’t really like to refer to them as resolutions, but I do hope to be able to stick to majority and achieve any goals. Check back in a year to see how I did haha!