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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!

Look at my house – Ground Floor

July 29, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

The other day I posted about my Little DIY helpers and about this series, “Look at my House“. However what I forgot at the time was that I hadn’t actually finished the series, having still to do the bottom floor. The truth is, I was most excited about the ground floor and I think that’s why I saved it till the end. However as the floor that also has the most rooms, I’ve been putting it off as it might take too long. However I’m diving in now, here’s my ground floor!

The Lounge

When we first moved in, the lounge was red. The TV was on the wall (right where the sun shone in on it), there were black shelves up (already taken down by this picture), black fireplace and black curtains. It was a proper man den. This needed to be changed before we even moved in as I didn’t like it at all and it didn’t feel homely, so with the help of experts from My House Painter we decorated it with a beige colour and tried to lighten the feel of the room.

Though this picture was taken on the night we moved in, you can see already the big difference and in all honestly we didn’t touch this room much at all over the years. By hiring a house removals company you can also get a level of service that ensures a happy and successful transfer.However in the big redecorate we did touch up some of the areas, like the floor with the help of the tiler and of course over the years we have added pictures to the walls and nic naks around the room.

I personally think it looks a whole lot better than it used to and on a clean and tidy day, I’m actually pretty proud to call it the heart of my home!

Dining Room

The truth is, when we first moved in, the dining room was our junk room. I didn’t really like it as a room anyway and Chris had used it as a gaming room, with his big white board on the wall and everything seemed a bit tatty and dirty. Since it wasn’t essential to our home life, we didn’t really touch it at all, except for tidying it bit by bit as we found room for the items. However over time, the dining room also became my work room – especially on the launch of Closet Geek. Even then, everything felt very junky and unorganised. On the day we decided to decorated, I actually had to close my store. I had so much stuff everywhere that it wouldn’t have been possible to work around it and packing it all up and moving it away to a different room was the only option.

This was exactly what my dining room/office looked like before packing it all away!

Obviously the main outstanding point is that it’s tidy, but believe me when I say we did a lot of work in the room! All the walls were painted, the ceiling was striped and painted, the coving was plastered and painted, plus all the skirting boards and glossing was done. Another suggestion if you want a wall to stand out is to place murals on one wall as an accent. Check out Murale Design for great quality murals. Though sadly it didn’t stay that tidy for long, its now one of my favourite rooms in the house – especially as all my Disney love splurges out there!

The Kitchen

When I moved in with Chris, the kitchen left a lot to be desired. There was one side of the room which has a tiny sink, one cupboard and a set of drawers. On the other side of the room were 4 wall cupboards and 4 ground cupboards.

As such, the first thing we did was add more cupboard space and more work top space. We left the wall cupboards and added extra underneath, including a corner cupboard.

On the other side of the room, we added a double cupboard and a larger sink. There was also a free-standing set of drawers, which we put at the side of the cooker, along with a small worktop piece to cover it.

Other than that, we didn’t do a lot. We had plans to add a new floor (since it was only half floored), another wall cupboard, paint the walls, install Epoxy Flooring and re-plaster etc etc.

Over the years we added a new light fitting and even bought a new cooker, but the rest just got pushed to one side, until the big DIY we did earlier this year.

When we overhauled the house, the kitchen had one of the major upgrades; we even used ICFs for the new wall additions. We plastered the walls and painted, we put up a wall cupboard. Of course there was a whole new flooring put down and the top cupboards from before got a new door coating, to pull the white altogether. Believe it or not we didn’t have door cupboard handles or drawer handles for about two years, so we finally got them too!

The Bathroom

When I first moved in, the bathroom was my least favourite room in the house which was so sad as I love a nice bath to relax and instead I didn’t even want to be in there. The first thing we did was change the toilet seat, add a toilet roll holder, a new lampshade, a place to hang towels and a bathroom cabinet (read this to know more about the cabinet).

This definitely helped a little but it wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t keen on any of the wood parts, the radiator was rusty and the wall plaster was peeling. Over the years, we didn’t do much except replace the shower when it broke. However in our DIY overhaul we pretty much sorted it all out.

Other bits and pieces

Obviously this is the last of the rooms and the last floor but there was other work done too – both inside and outside. Here are my last few pictures.

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Little DIY Helpers

July 23, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

As you know, we’ve recently re-decorated our house from top to bottom. In fact, I wrote about it in my “Look at my House” series. However it honestly wouldn’t have been possible without a whole load of help! When we first moved in, my brother offered a lot of help (as did my mum, though mostly financially – bless her). Over the years we lived here, my best friend Nat also helped out on the odd days here and there. However, while the bulk of the work has always fallen on Chris and I, the girls have always been keen to help too.

In collaboration with Dyno, I was asked to share my trials, tribulations and even triumphs when it came to kids helping out with DIY. I have to be honest and say that sometimes having their help is more hassle than it’s worth, but that’s not to say they don’t both try! For the most part, we decorated while they were at school, but they would often come back after school and want to help then. Here is some tips I would like to offer:

An old set of clothes for them is absolutely essential. Its completely unrealistic to expect that they will manage to paint without getting paint all over them – both skin and clothes. Usually I picked something they didn’t particularly like anyway, or something they were pretty much outgrowing. Tying hair out of the way is also a good idea.
Make sure you cover the floor, skirting boards etc. even more than you would normally. I always throw covers over furniture when we’re painting the ceiling, but sometimes I’m less concerned when I know its in a place I can just be careful. However with the kids helping out, there are bound to be drips, spillages and goodness knows what, so cover up those floors even more, put masking tape on the skirting boards and keep a close eye on them!
I have to admit that my girls are fairly well behaved anyway but I would recommend not leaving them alone for too long. When you have to nip off and get that extra brush or a new tin of paint, the chances are it won’t be long before they find it funny to start painting each other!
Small brushes. I’m sure this one goes without saying really but the smaller the brush, the smaller the possible accident, mess, mistake etc. Sure you might have to go over the parts they’ve done but you stop the risk of having a big paintbrush mark when it gets dropped or swiped over a part of wall you didn’t want painting.
Expect that they will get bored. Kids have a fairly short attention span to most things and if they’re not especially enjoying themselves, they will get bored and ditch you. Maybe adding some music to the equation or making it fun, will make them stick around but be prepared to finish off by yourself!

The kids helped us out in pretty much every room of the house, in some way or another. They can be a great asset but also a huge hassle. The nice thing is, they’re nearly always willing and love the thought of helping out. In reality, the job probably isn’t as fun as they expected or they’d rather be sat playing on an iPad or something. However every now and again they might surprise you and you’ll really appreciate their help – or maybe just their company. Not to mention, the other they get, the more likely they are to be of use to you!

April Round-up

May 3, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Watching: Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (I’ve managed to watch all 7 series), Once Upon a Time (I started again from the beginning with Lily and now Megan), Suits (1-4), the usual weekly episodes of Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, The 100 etc etc. Megan, Lily and I also watched Saving Mr Banks for the first time.
Reading: Six Lies and Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn – I’m not doing much reading!
Sewing & Making (for Closet Geek): This month I made some bunting and also a lampshade for my sewing room/dining room. I also made a Prince Charming jacket, along with the usual orders.

And in other news…
– We finally got the house on the market, all the paperwork approved and the brochure made. We’re at least on the way to moving – whenever that might happen!
– Went shopping with Megan and Lily for a few nice bits of clothes. Megan did a mini photo shoot but got herself all upset that she didn’t feel very natural and thought she was ugly.
– Went to Doncaster and experienced Cosmo with the kids. Also found a great little outlet village which we’d never been to before.
– Lily managed her 25m badge in swimming lessons and I was so proud of her because she hadn’t even been able to swim properly at the beginning of the 6 weeks.
– Went out for dinner with my mum a couple of days before her birthday. It was supposed to be just the five of us but my Auntie Pat and Bernard joined us last minute.
– We went out for Sunday lunch to celebrate my nephew’s 9th birthday.
– I attempted (and failed) screen printing for the first time. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t do it, but newspaper got stuck to my screen!
– Got several new art prints over the month and also started collecting Itty Bittys from Hallmark.
– And very last minute, my best friend Amy came to visit!!

Looking forward to in May:
– My birthday has to come top of the list, even though its pretty much the last thing to happen in the month. It’s not really because of my birthday or the gifts, but because Amy will come down again and Nat’s coming over.
– Going to Paris! Finally, after all these years, I’m taking a holiday to Paris. It’s only 3 days but we’re doing the Eiffel Tower and Paris itself, as well as DLP of course.
– Maybe seeing Captain America: Civil War? I really need to watch Winter Soldier first though.
– As well as my birthday, half term starts at the end of the month (though technically runs into the next month). As always, I enjoy my time off with the girls and especially not having to head out every morning to take them to school.

Honestly there isn’t really anything happening in May other than the small trip and my birthday so we’ll just have to see how it goes!

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March Round-up

April 11, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

I thought that doing a monthly round-up would be easier than doing a weekly one but seems instead that months just escape me and I end up so late doing my round-up! It won’t be very accurate, but here is my March.

Watching: Catching up on loads of TV in the evening, as we only did DIY in the day. I/We caught up on SHIELD, Agent Carter, Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Grimm, Dance Moms, The Walking Dead, NCIS, Blindspot, X-Files, Gotham, Catfish, The 100, Limitless, Ink Master, Casualty, Holby City and probably more that I don’t remember. I also got quite addicted to watching old episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.
Reading: Fantastic Mr Fox, Six Lies, Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn, Fated,.
Sewing & Making (for Closet Geek): Several custom dresses with Disney fabric including; Inside Out, Jungle Book and Lion King. Also a Belle inspired dress and an Aurora inspired dress. An adult Alice in Wonderland dress. A Jessie Dress and Pinocchio outfit from my store listings. I made Aurora and Rapunzel bows on custom request too. Closet Geek was closed for 2 weeks for DIY though.

And in other news…
– Mum got back from New Zealand! After spending the whole of February away, it was really nice to have her back at the very beginning of March. I didn’t realise quite how much I missed her.
– Megan got accepted into her first choice for Secondary School. To be honest I had expected as much but considering 90% of her class/year at her school didn’t, it made me even more grateful. We took her out to dinner at NYC bar and grill to celebrate.
– World Book day was fun! Lily went as Harley Quinn and Megan went as Wenda from Where’s Wally/Waldo.
– Lily was in Shine assembly and it was also the last week for her teacher before going on maternity leave. It was a really sweet but sad moment in assembly and Lily even got to give Mrs Riley her leaving gift.
– Lily’s birthday happened! She turned 8 and honestly as usual, she just grew up overnight. We had a lovely day with birthday lunch out at Pizza Hut but relaxing for the most part. It’s always nice when a birthday falls at the weekend.
– It was a busy weekend with Lily’s birthday Saturday and then Mother’s Day on Sunday. It was lovely though and I was spoilt by the girls. I got a new Disney Tradition ornament and a new Disney Pop Funko too. We went out for lunch with my mum, my sister, my brother and his girlfriend and son too. It was nice to get together as a family.
– I finally edited the girls’ first YouTube video and it was pretty funny to watch. I have no idea when we’ll get around to doing another!
– Some MAJOR DIY took place in our house during March. We started with the kitchen floor on a day off but moved to finishing off the whole house during 10 days off that Chris had booked (and I closed Closet Geek).
– Chris’ birthday was mid-March. He’s way too laid back about doing anything on his bday so it was hard to figure out a fun day. In the end we played mini-golf in Sheffield and then went to Meadowhall where we shopped a bit and had Five Guys for dinner.
– Chris and I tried Cosmos for the first time. Cosmo is a chain restaurant of buffet food. However where most are Chinese and/or Indian, this one is sort of everything. You do still get Chinese and Indian but you also get English (like roast dinner stuff), Italian (like pizza and pasta), loads of nibbly bits like chips, onion rings, curly fries etc. Japanese (like Sushi) and so much more. On a lunchtime it’s £7.50 for as much as you want so it’s really not that bad.
– The girls broke up from school and we celebrated (as always) with Pizza Hut for dinner. It was nice as Chris was actually off work for a change so we all got to go together.
– We celebrated Easter at my brother’s house as it was also a birthday party for his twin boys. It was nice for the girls to get to spend time with their cousins and other kids their age – not to mention play out in the garden and have an easter egg hunt.
– I finished off the month feeling really ill. I totally burnt myself out with all the DIY and letting myself get tired. I was pretty ill for 2-3 days and then had a bad headache for another 1-2 after that. It sort of sucked after achieving so much with the house.

Looking forward to in April:
– Getting the house officially on the market was my main thing to look forward to in April. Since I’m late writing this post, this has actually already happened. We had the person around to take photos in early April, then the house went on the market and we got a copy of the brochure, then our “for sale” sign went up the very next day.
– Mum’s birthday. She’s actually away for her birthday (and I wish I was going to Storybrooke), but we’ll celebrate just beforehand I’m sure.
– Finding some time to work on new ideas for Closet Geek. After shutting the store for two weeks, it took about another week to get caught up. It’s been nice having the odd time here and there to try new projects and I hope to have some more this month.
– Time off with the girls. Most of Easter hols has been in April and as always I look forward to spending time with them. It’s funny how sad I feel when they go back now, rather than the relief I used to feel when they were smaller and more annoying!
– Honestly there isn’t much happening in April as far as I know so not much to look forward to!