Advent Calendar - Day One

Welcome, One and All, to my blogging advent calendar!

Every day up until Christmas, I will be hiding a blog behind every door and all you have to do is click on the link to open it!  And there you will find a blog that I either find interesting, unique or just plain amazing and the most important thing about these particular blogs is that they are either new to blogging this year, or would like a few more followers to help promote their blog, because we all get excited when we have new followers!  And what would be even more amazing is if you could follow that blog as a christmas present to them! Simples!

First up, behind door number one -

The Content Notebook

Enjoy xxxx

The Sketchbook Project

I love nothing more than a good notebook as regular followers of this blog will know!  So when I stumbled across this Sketchbook Project I just could not resist but to take part!

It involves me receiving a blank sketchbook, filling it in with my own arty skills then posting it back to the Brooklyn Art Library in New York!  Each book is barcoded with my own unique number and this is so I can track who has taken out my book and viewed it!  So exciting!

So, I received my blank sketchbook in the post with a little card alongside letting me know the rules and giving me some prompts!

And here is my unique barcode with my name on it!  I have never been so excited by a barcode before!

Ah, the excitement of a blank page!

So,I will keep you updated on my blog with this project and show you step by step how I am going to fill up all those blank pages!  Im now off to look for some inspiration and try not to procrastinate along the way!



Advent Calendar Begins Tomorrow - There is Still Time To Enter!

Yay tomorrow I begin my advent calendar, where every day I will be showcasing a different blog behind the door!  If you would like to show off your blog, or would like to nominate someone else's blog, please comment below or email me at mupplet@hotmail.co.uk The closng date for entries is 24th December so you can enter throughout December too!!

xx

The Gallery - My Kitchen

Its been a while since I took part in The Gallery because I have recently moved but this weeks theme comes at a perfect time because I have a new kitchen to show off!

My new canisters, matching with my cupcake themed kitchen!

The view from my kitchen window goes as far back as London which you can see on a clear day, and the lights are very clear from the top of Canary Wharf.  Today is not a particularly clear day so the pictures are a little dark but you get the idea!  Plus, the cupcake curtains are a favourite feature of mine!



Tuesday Top Tens - Ten Things I Love/Hate At A Gig



Me and Dean tend to go to a lot of gigs and our most recent one being Friendly Fires for his birthday.  Whilst there, we had a tendency to moan more than enjoy it because of other people! And this got me thinking aboutmy pet hates when going to a gig because we realised people can be really selfish and ruin the experience for others!  So, I have compiled a list of the things that really get on my wick, and also the things that make the experience all worth while!

Things I Hate:
1:  Tall people standing at the front or in front of you - if your lucky enough to be 8 feet tall, then why do you need to stand near the front to see the band?  Surely you can see not only them but also the lights above them plus the rest of the crowd that are below you struggling to see?  Does not make any sense to me!

2:  Girls and their handbags,Boys and their rucksacks - now what could you possibly need at a gig that requires the biggest bag you own?  I get that a bag can be a fashion statement, but at a recent gig, there were numerous girls with massive bags that not only looked like it weighed them down with the amount of stuff inside, but it was also banging against my back and pushing me out the way as if it was another person!  What is the point? Surely its more of a hinderance than a need?  I took a little clutch bag that could fit my essentials in and I was heavy-bag free!  A rucksack is slightly more acceptable so you can experience the hands free version of bringng a bag, but when a guy has a rucksack on, standing in front of you jumping around, I get smacked in the face by the bag! Ugh!!

3:  People dancing inappropriately - I need to make myself clear on this one, me and Dean are terrible for dancing inappropriately!  Jumping, swaying, wooing and screaming all fall into this category and I am one of the biggest culprits of this at a gig! However, i do take into consideration others around me and if I want to scream, I do it away from someones ear, if I want to bounce, I make sure I dont lean on the persn next to or in front of me!  But do others take my consideration when they want to dance like an idiot?!!  No they do not, and my experience the other night proved this, when I had a girl leaning back as far as she could, onto me, grinding and swaying on me as if I was not there!  I pushed her away so she would get the hint but it didnt work! In fact, it made her worse!

4:  People that spend all that money on a ticket, then proceed to stand still and not enjoy it - I find someone like this at nearly every gig!  Im not asking everyone to jump around like a loon like I do, but there are other people out there that deserve the ticket more, who will appreciate the band they are seeing, instead of standing there like they are at a funeral!

5:  Pushing past me when its quite clear there is no room - this really winds me up!  Im standing in a specific spot which means I have a direct view between people's heads to see the stage and enough room for me to dance, but not enough room for anyone to bring their friends along to squeeze through and stand in front of my spot!  Not only that, but there is no room for your six beers, your tall friend or your three ruckacks and three handbags!!



Things I Love:

6:  Seeing a band for the first time and it turns out to be everything you expected and more - I regularly see my favourite bands, but when I see someone new, I dont always know what to expect.  But most bands that care about their fans and have the budget, pull out all the stops to make the experience amazing.  Most recently being Athlete, Hurts and Friendly Fires who haveblown me away when seeing themfor the first time.

7:  Hearing that one song you know everyone has been waiting for - there is always one song that a band is most famous for that you know will be played at the end, and seeing the place come alive and be filled with all that energy is so much fun to be a part of.  Songs that have stood out for me that I will always remember seeing live include Common People by Pulp, Best Of You by Foo Fighters, One Day Like This by Elbow and Viva La Vida by Coldplay

8:  Seeing a mind blowing show and reminiscing about it for the next seven days- there is nothing better than coming away from a gig on a high!  When bands pull out all the stops to make their music even more incredible and getting your moneys worth.  Things that make a gig mindblowig include a different version of a song (acoustic maybe?), ticker tape, fireworks, pyro-technics and having the band leap off stage so you can touch them!

9:  Meeting a band after their gig - I have not done this many times but when I have it totally adds to the experience!  I have met lead singer from a small indie band from the 00s, twice, had Nicky Wire from the Manic Street Preachers walk past me onto his tour bus,and met the lovely Friendly Fires so they could sign my CD and have my picture taken with them!

10:  Dancing like a mad woman to my favourite bands - Now I did cover this above, but when its me doing all the dancing and not others being annoying, it really adds to the gig experience!  Its a chance for me to throw all my cares away, take in the music and feel emotions I dont always get to feel,just through the powers of music!!

Phew, that was great for a good old rant!



50 Things That Will Free Your Mind

I stumbled across these lovely questions over at Shell Louise so I hope she does not mind me using them for this post!  My regular followers know I love a good Q&A session especially whenits about me!  Hehe!

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? If I looked in the mirror I would say I looked about 18, but the way I feel, its about 30!
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Never trying, at least you an fail having tried something, than failing at something you did not try at all
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? Because some things in life you have to do whether you like them or not, thats life and thats the only way we can survive
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Nope, I have definetely done more than I have said, Im a doer not a sayer!
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? I wish people would all get along and have no reason to hate each other that includes war, your neighbours or a stranger in a queue
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?  Well, for me, I am happieest when I am creating so maybe as a writer or artist, a wedding planner or party entertainer!
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? I definetely believe in living life so thats what I am doing!
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I would travel with my family, instead of remaining settled at home in this country
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? Not at all!  I have had little control over how my life has tured out, however hard hae tried to steer it, but hopefully that will all change now
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? I am more worried about doing things right
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do? I would sit quietly at first, thinking about my responses to them and then I would probably have to mention how they are my friend and stick up for them
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Treat people the way you want to be treated
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?  If it was to save my children then yes, but I could not take someones life.  If it was a family member, it would have to be justifiable before I could do it!
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? Sometimes, depends what it is
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? Judge people for their positives first before I get to know someone
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Because some people are not built that way, I was taught to appreciate things which makes me hppy, some people couldnt care less
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? See Day Zero project for details!  Not much holds me back apart from money
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? I was, but now i have let go
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? Austrailia, because the environment seems a lot healthier and happier and there government seems better run than ours!
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? Lol, I have done but just out of habit
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? I already am a joyful simpleton!
22. Why are you, you? Because life made me, me and Im happy about that
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? No!  I can still be pretty selfish plus if I had a friend like me, it would drivem nuts!
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch with a friend who lives near me, there is no need for it
25. What are you most grateful for? My wonderful son and my amazing fiance, the roof over my head and a wonderful job
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? I would have to keep my old memories and not make new ones, that wa I can reflect on what was and enjoy them 
27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Always
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? No thank goodness, thats why it remains a fear
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now? Ill never forget it, it matters at the moment because its what got me where I am but Im sure it wont matter eventually
30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?  Having the freedom to play outside in the summer, its special because I lived in an area where that was possible and kids today will never know what that feels like
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? Probably when me and Dean got engaged, it was the start of a new chapter that I never thought I would see
32. If not now, then when? Tomorrow
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Nothing to lose, things are a working progress
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Lol, always when me and dean have quiet moments!
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Because humans interfere
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Yes, I think most of us do experience this
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? I would quit my waitressing job but not so much my teaching job because Im relied upon and its rewarding, however I would have eough money to open my own nursery instead!
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work that I enjoy doing!
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Everyday is diffrent, its the routine thats the same!
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? Thats usually everyday! My brain is always believing in ideas!
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My son, fiance, mum, dad, brothers, then ten special friends
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? Gosh, No!
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Truly living is experiencing the world around us and thats what makes us being alive
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?  Its always time, just humans are silly to calculate it in the first place!
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? becaise we know the consequences of making a mistake
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? nothing, I dont care if people judge me because thats their problem not mine!
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? When I fell asleep and could hear myself breathing heavily the other night!
48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? I love my family and the people that are in my life, I dont always express it except for my son who I completely spoil with love
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that? Maybe not what I did yesterday but certainly this month because its the month I moved home!
50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? I try not to let others influence me but maybe they do this without me realising!

365 Day Photo Challenge - 77 / 365

77 / 365 - My favourtie flowers are pink lillies and my lovely fiance bought me these for no particular reason!  They are better than an air freshner and keep my home smelling gorgeous and are also pretty to look at!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 76 / 365

76 / 365 - Continuing my purple and black theme in my living room, I managed to find these gorgeous coasters!  They represent everything I love, vintage patterns and pin up girls!



Advent Calendar - Promote your Blog!

For those of you who have not yet sent me your nominations, there is still time!!  Starting 1st December just like an advent calendar there will be your blogs behind each door!  So if you would like your blog to be repesented or enjoy reading someone elses and want to shout about it, then all you have to do is leave a comment below, or email me at mupplet@hotmail.co.uk You can still send me your entires right through December too so the deadlne is 24th December! I look forward to reading them all!

xxx

365 Day Photo Challenge - 75 / 365

75 / 365 - Not the most flattering picture of me!  I had my first party at my new home to warm it up!  And the champagne was definetely flowing freely judging by the rest of the pictures I saw!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 74 / 365

74 / 365 - To celebrate my fiances birthday, this was his Top Gear cake that we al had fun eating!



365 Day Photo Challenge -73 / 365

73 / 365 - Todays picture is of lead singer Ed, from the band Friendl Fires, who we saw at Brixton Academy.  Having seen them live at Reading earlier his year, we knew we were in for a treat and we literally danced like we had never danced before!



Listography - Cartoon Characters From My Youth

Another enjoyable subject to get us thinking over at Kate Takes 5 blog for this weeks Listography.  Specifically cartoons, I am excited to think back and reminisce a time when life was more simpler and the only worries I had was hoping Mum was not putting onions in the dinner again!  Here is my list of cartoon characters  that stand out for me from my chidhood:

1:   Tom and Jerry - I was not a hge fan but I remember my Dad putting this cartoon on and he was more of a child about it than I was,laughing his head off at the ridiculous scenarios the famous cat and mouse put themselves into!



2:  Tasmanian Devil - Every Saturday morning, probably during SM:TV Live they would show the Looney Tunes and I particularly remember enjoying this crazy cartoon character, that splattered and spun around in front of my eyes!

3:  Stop It and Tidy Up! - Not many people remember this cartoon, voiced by Sir Terry Wogan, and I cant remember when it was shown but it was a favourite of mine, and thouroughly enjoyed the opening credits where these strange characters would represent some type of behaviour!

4:  RaggyDolls - Im sure Joanna Lumley voiced one of these characters!  I loved this programme!

5:  Mutley - Another cartoon that my Dad introuduced me to was Wacky Races and he does a great impression of the famous laugh this dog does! 



Ahhhh, that was fun!  Now pop over to Kates blog to see others' entries and to join in yourself!



Advent Calendar - Your Blogs Needed!

There is still time to get your blogs in to me for my Advent Calendar blog posts.  If you are proud of your blog and would like to get even more followers, then let me help!  I am hosting a mini blog carnival where every day until christmas I showcase one of your blogs for others to see.  If you would like your blog to take part, please comment below or email me at mupplet@hotmail.co.uk
I look forward to seeing your entries and showcasing them right here!



My Darling Dean - Happy Birthday!!!

Aww, its my amazing fiances' birthday tomorrow! (26th November) so I would like to dedicate this post to him and all his wonderfullness!

He is an amazing step dad, Jacob loves him to the ends of the Earth and back, and he does everything a father should do and more.  Dean gives him the world, and is the best father figure a boy could have, being an amazing role model and even sharing a love for Doctor Who and Wrestling!

Dean makes me absolutely wet myself laughing!  With his slapstick humour and goofy ways, I have never laughed so much at someone, and with someone in my life!  And this is what gets us through our relationship, no matter what life throws at us, we always have time for a giggle!

And of course, I am a very lucky girl as my man has the looks to match his personality - gorgeous, handsome and dressed to kill!

I love the fact that I can share my passions with Dean, including our love for music which knows no boundaries!

So my darling Dean, wishing you a very happy 21st (ha!) birthday and long may you continue to be the amazing man that you are!

365 Day Photo Challenge - 72 / 365

72 / 365 - Regular followers of this project may have noticed I love to take pictures of the sun!  Today we were driving back from Lakeside and this was the view we were greeted with, a gorgeous suns, shame about the traffic in the way though!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 71 / 365

71 / 365 - I was really impressed with this  Jacob has new spotlights in his bedroom, courtesy of Wilkinsons all for £16!  And my wonderful Dean put them up without electrocuting himself!  



Listography - Top 5 Gadgets

This weeks Listography over at Kate Takes 5 is a tricky one for me as I am not a huge fan of gadgets although I do have a fair few in my home.  I just find them an annoyance, especially when they break, an expense that is not necessary and something I lose interest in quite quickly!  Saying this though, when I do get round to buying the latest gadget, for the first few months that I have interest in a product, I realise how wonderful it is to have!
  So, my top five gadgets that I cannot live without are: (and I will try not to be too obvious here!)

1:  Hair straighteners - before I owned my first pair, I had awful kinky hair, especially when I had a bob at the age of 12, that just did not sit right on me!  But now my hair is long, there is nothing better than frazzling my hair to make it as dead straight as I can get it!



2:  The Ipod - Although I dont listen to mine as much before I learnt to drive, this is one of my fave gadgets!  Being the huge music lover that I am, the frustration of having a Walkman, or portable Cd player used to drive me mad!  Because the tape would be chewed up, or it would take forever to rewind, and the CD would jump as I walked along and it would be embarrassng trying to change the CD on the bus! Hail the Ipod for all my less embarrassing musical needs, plus more!



3:  My mobile phone - A very obvious one where we all think, "what did we do before our mobile?" but I have to say I feel lost without it!  It helps me when Im bored, helps me stay in contact with the world, provides me with a camera, music and the internet, what more could us humans want?!



4:  Iron - Not being much of a domestic goddess, ironing is one of my favourite chores, (when I have a small pile of clothes mind!).  There is nothing more satisfying than taking out those creases and having neatly pressed clothes! Plus, it keeps you warm in the winter!

5:  Laptop - As Kate also listed this, I totally agree with her!  What a magnificent gadget that has opened up a whole world to me including social networks, shopping online, blogging and writing for my own leisure!  I have even found the benefits of a laptop for my son, and for storing all my photos, and I have many!

I found that a difficult listography this week but will now pop over to KateTakes5 to see what others have come up with and probably kick myself at other' suggestions!

Stupid Saturday

My wonderful friend Jenni, and her blog have got together to create Stupid Saturday, a little thought provoking idea to note down all the silly and stupid things us humans do!  And seeing as I have done many of these in my time, this is a perfect post to be involved in!

So this weeks stupid things I have said or done are:

• At work yesterday, I smashed a photo frame by accident, pushed many a wrong button on the till meaning my manager had to keep voiding this off for me and nearly gave a table the wrong bill! It was not a good shift!
• I nearly called in sick at work because I was having a bad day, (see above for details!) but thank goodness I didnt because my boss was in and it wouldnt have looked good on me!

Right thats all I can think of today!  I did not have time to be stupid this week as I have been so busy but I will take note next week and come back with more stupid things!  Why not have a go yourself?!



Advent Calendar - My Blog Carnival!! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

Not sure if this will work plus its very short notice but I am organising a blog carnival for my advent calendar blog!
  If you are proud of your blog and would like to take part, please email me at mupplet@hotmail.co.uk and I will include you and let you know when you will be on my blog!  Entries can be sent to me right through December too but preferably before 1st so I can begin straight away and of course I am looking for 24 blogs, so let your fellow bloggers know too!

Hoorah!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 70 / 365

70  / 365- Jacob was happy to get his very own bean bag!  I did not realise how handy these can be! Great for him to flob out in front of the tv. read a book, or relaxing and this one fits the football theme of his room!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 69 / 365

69 / 365 - Ah, the sweet smell of new carpets!  Except mine do not smell at all! But the feel of new carpet on my feet is a refreshing change to the concrete that lay before!  My home is looking and feeling warmer and homely, its amazing what a bit of carpet can do!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 68 / 365

68 / 365 - A magical moment when the boys came home from a hard day at school/work and found new carpets in half the home!  Jacob took to rolling around in my room, followed shortly by Dean who thought it would be just as funny to join in with him, and take in the soft, fresh feel of new carpets!  See previous photo, (day 67) for a before shot!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 67 / 365

67 / 365 - A picture of the concrete we have lived with since moving!  But, have no fear, I am getting carpets!  Although the cold, hard and extremely filthy floor has had its fun moments, you cannot beat a bit of carpet!  Goodbye concrete!



How many memes is too many?!

Just a quick post to get your opinions!
 Regular readers of my blog will know I love a good meme!  And at present, I am follwing about four on a regular basis, plus am testing out a new one for myself.
  The question is how many is too many? 
Im worried my blog may turn into just a meme blog, with no other interesting posts!  I always make sure I write at least one different post a week, something about my life or in the news, just to keep people interested.  I know there are no rules to this blogging addiction, but from a readers point of view, I would want different posts every time to keep me following.
  So, how many memes do you follow and when would you stop and think, I am doing too many now?!

x

Listography - Top 5 Random Things I Like

I love Listography days!  And todays subject leaves me laughing because I am such a random person in general, so my list should really be more than five, but Im no rule breaker!

So, Top 5 random things I like are:

1:  Heat magazine - having bought and read every single one for 8 years and never missed one!

2:  Sitting in a coffee shop, preferably Costa in a Waterstones, reading and writing to myself

3:  The smell of a new book

4:  Looking inside peoples' homes when walking past!

5:  Wearing my socks at bedtime!  And as my fiance kindly points out, wearing odd socks at bedtime!

Gosh, thats was harder than I thought!  Please check out KateTakes5 blog for others choices of randomness!

Day Zero Project - Move Home

When I wrote out my Day Zero Project list, I knew I would be moving anyway, but I put it on the list as I knew it would be a big challenge for me and I did not honestly believe I could do it!  But, now I am writing this in my new home, all be it surrounded by boxes and no carpets, but Im in and six days later, it is slowly taking shape.

This is the last picture I took of my old flat, all empty and lonely!

The move went well with the help of my fiance Dean, his mum, my parents, and my amazing friends Jenni, Gavin and Matt.  Without them, I would have been a mess, but by three pm I was all moved into my new home, hassle free, and excited for new memories to be made.

I did not like my home when I first viewed it, but now I am in and doing some D.I.Y here and there, it is slowly becoming likeable and homely.  All I need are carpets and I can relax and look forward to decorating the rest.

Still, cant complain, these are the views I get to enjoy from my bedroom and kitchen!  Magnificent!

 

365 Day Photo Challenge - 66 / 365

66 / 365 - To continue showing off my new kitchen, I had my new cooker delivered today!  For the last 6 days we have been eating out, eating ready meals and not eating healthily at all!  But now I have my brand new clean oven all ready for proper home cooked meals!  Ok, well, chips for tonight then!



365 Day Photo Challenge - 65 / 365

65 / 365 - My kitchen is the only room in my new home that is complete and these cupcake nets really make it homely, courtesy of Romford market!!



Saturday 9s - How long...

Its nice to sit down for a change and write on my blog seeing as I have been so busy with moving home!  So a perfect excuse to write a post using the Saturday 9s prompt questions:

1. Have you discovered a betrayal? If so, did you ask, “How long has THIS been going on”?
 Years ago, I discovered my boyfriend of three months was still seeing my boss even though they both told me their relationship had finished! I then went onto discover he was seeing three other women as well as me and my boss!


2. What is the longest line you've ever stood in? Would you do it again?
  I queued up for three hours to meet Katie Price at one of her book signings!  At the time, it was totally worth it but I wouldnt do it now!

3. Someone has hung a sign around your neck, and you have to wear it all day long. What does it say?
  Please hug me!

4. As the Christmas season approaches, what song is it that you just can't wait to hear?
  Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty Maccoll because then you know its really christmas!

5. What Christmas song do you dread to hear?
  The rest of them!  Noddy Holders' voice, Mariah Carey wailing and Aled Jones, all fill me with dread!

6. How often do you read the last chapter of a book first?
  I never read the last chapter first but I may take a sneaky flick through the last page!

7. Do you have a favorite movie that you just love to see each year during the holidays?
  Scrooge the Musical, Its A Wonderful Life, The Grinch

8. Do you enjoy winter in the area that you live?
  Well, having just moved to a new area Im looking forward to seeing the snow in the fields behind my home, but I hate winter wherever I may live!

9. At holiday I think we all show more kindness. In your opinion, is this a “concept” that has value (like money or other tangible things) or does it exist as simply emotion? Why?
To be honest, I dont really see much kindness where I love full stop!  I think everyone becomes selfish during christmas, regardless of whether they are buying for others or not and it would make a change if kindness was something that came natural to people without there being something in it for them too!

Rant over, feel free to pop over to Saturday 9s and check out others answers xxx

365 Day Photo Challenge - 64 / 365

64 / 365 - My first bunch of flowers in my new home, courtesy of the wonderful nursery staff and m colleagues at work.  They surprised me during the day, along with a gorgeous home made card, and put a smile on my face!  The flowers now take pride of place on my kitchen window sill and have brightened the place up xx

365 Day Photo Challenge - 63 / 365

63 / 365 - Jacob learnt how to do a pretty impressive magic trick as demonstrated her, his hand has become a magnet so that his wand is stuck to his hand! Ta-dah! 



365 Day Photo Challenge - 62 / 365

62 / 365 - So, this is the view from my kitchen window!  Its a miserable, foggy, November day where you cannot see how far back the view goes but you get a rough idea of what it will look like in the summer!

365 Day Photo Challenge - 61 / 365





61 / 365 - Probably should not put this as my day picture today because of the advertising, (and as they would say on tv, there are many other fab removal services available!), but this sums up our moving day! My other half drivig my whole life in a van!  We did have a laugh, me in the car, him in a van, trying to reverse into a tiny cul-de-sac! xx

365 Day Photo Challenge - 60 / 365

60 / 365 - On day sixty of this challenge, I moved home and this is the last sight I wanted to capture in my new place.  Empty, with the remainder of what was, engraved in the carpet!



Goodbye Home of 4 Years, and Thanks for the Memories!

Well, my regular followers will know I am moving and the day has come where I say goodbye to my flat of four years and say hello to my new home. I am amongst boxes and bags containing my life that I have managed to get back together since 2008, and now its time to move on to the second chapter in my life which I am very much looking forward to seeing what it has in store for me! 

My shelves are empty!

But the bags are full!

Oh my, they say moving is stressful and whoever "they" were, were right!  But even though I know I have alot of work ahead of me, I know that once I am finished with my new home, it will all be worth the pain!

So, in memory of the last four years, here are my Top 5 happiest times that I will always keep close to my heart!

1:  Jacob having his first proper bedroom - this is what his room looked like when we first moved in! He had been sleeping in a travel cot for a year before I bought him his first big bed and and he has accumulated alot more toys since too!!  In our new home, Jacobs bedroom is even bigger, with fitted wardrobes and plenty of room for all those toys!

2:  Christmas - Jacob loved decorating our tree and we always had fun deciding where to put it every year as I accumulated many a different piece of new furniture which gave us no room what so ever!  Three xmas' in a row we have stayed at home and enjoyed a small christmas which is what I prefer but am looking forward to seeing where we can put our tree in or new home!

3: Parties - wow, this flat has seen me host many parties, fancy dress, moulin rouge themed, cocktail parties, halloween and after parties!  The carpets have been covered with red wine, curries and beer, the ceiling was sprayed with alcohol, the walls stained with who knows what but it was all in the name of fun!  Long may the bad singing on Singstar continue at my new home, but maybe leave my new carpets clean!

N.B. no carpets, ceilings and walls were harmed during the four years, they have all been cleaned, painted and restored ready for a new family to do the same!

4:  Me and Dean - We got together a week after I moved in!!  At my first ever gathering of friends,   I had no furniture, just a rugby ball (!) and a blow-up bed and I made my move on him and never looked back!  He has been here from the first day I moved in, bringing me a bag of chips because I had no electric, and sitting on the living room floor with me because I had no sofa!  Through the four years of living here, we have been on our first holidays together, slammed many a door in an argument, got engaged, put up with my moods, laughed until our sides hurt, been dead ill, worked out our problems, changed jobs, seen people come and go, dealt with loss, and had so many amazing memories, these walls have seen it all!  And right up until this evening, my Dean has helped me pack, clean the flat and declutter, which I would never have been able to do without him!  Here's to the next many happy years in the new flat!

5: Fun in the snow, and sunshine! - Yes, the seasons have come and gone, I have slipped in the snow outside my home, kicked autumn leaves and sunbathed in the park.  I walked there and back for two years taking Jacob to his nursery in the rain, wind, snow and sun! I have burnt my shoulders raw walking there and back to the park behind!  I have even walked to and from work in the local town, in the pitch black!  I love the fact I am so close to town, but hate that the traffic is terrible because of it!  I love the fact that I live directly opposite the pub!  I hate the fact that when I order a takeaway, no one can find my home even though I live on the main road!  So much to love but I will take this with me and build new memories inour new home!

Goodbye home of four years.... and thanks for the memories

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