Happy New Year

Happy New Year. I want to wish everyone all the best for 2010.

Well I have looked back at 2009 and think I had a really good year. We have all come to the end of this year, healthy, happy and looking positively to 2010.

I had 4 aims for 2009 which were to loose weight, cook more, make more bears and learn how to use photo shop. So how have I done. Not bad at all....

Weight wise I lost a stone, so to say it loudly I'm 1 stone lighter now than I was 12 months ago. So its not 4 stone but I'm still pleased. I haven't dieted as such just eaten better and started walking. I have a good friend who I walk with 3 times a week. We try to walk for an hour each time and we really enjoy it.

I now cook alot more. I have found it cheaper and tastier to cook from scratch and have recipes I cook quite often. I would say 3 to 4 times a week we have a good meal.

I have made more bears. Not quite 52 but more than I was. I had 3 really good fairs this year where I sold well and had a few commissions as well. The highlight in September was a 2 shops ordering from me. One in Germany and the other over here. So I'm really pleased with how the bear business is going.

Lastly I have learnt quite a bit about photo shop elements. I have found a fantastic website where you do classes in photo shop and they are easy to follow. I have completed 2 this year so I'm chuffed with that.

My aims for 2010 are:

To loose more weight. I want to give myself a kick this January and carry on with what I did last year but with less cheating. Aiming for at least 2 stone this year as a start. I'm going to carry on walking and cutting out fatty food. I have also just ordered myself a juicer so I can get my 5 a day easier. It was on special offer from QVC and Id been eyeing up this make for ages.

Look at this beauty. Is a Jack Lalanne power juicer which takes whole fruit without having to peel it.

Aim num 2 is to try out more recipes. It is just having the time to try new things but Ive been given a fabulous cookbook for Christmas called Just One Pot. It is full with recipes where you use just one pan or pot or dish. So here goes.

Aim num 3 is to carry on learning about Photo shop. It is such a complex programme that you have to learn to use it. I love what I can do with it. Not just for my pictures but for making things too. So I will do more courses when and where I can. The website I can highly recommend is http://www.jessicasprague.com/ It is fantastic and is full of all things creative.

Aim num 4 is related to aim num 3. I want to take more photos and fill my house with our pictures, fill my scrapbooks with our memories. I have had a new camera for Christmas and its a tiny point and shoot camera for my handbag. I love my big camera but I loose out on photos when I don't take it so I have no excuse now. I will see how I go but I'm going to try and take a photo a day. Whether its of one of the kids or just something from my life I don't care.

So that's a start. If I think of anything else I want to do I will post it on here but these are my aims for this year as well as being happy and healthy. I also have a big birthday this year so I need to really think about what I want to do to celebrate that.

S x

And now its over....

I adore Christmas and this year was no exception. I am like a kid myself on Christmas morning being woken at 4.30am by the kids. I made them go back to bed for a bit but we were all wide awake by 5.30am. They were all so pleased with everything and little K was so excited to see Santa had been.
I get quite down then after Christmas, and into January I feel deflated. We used to go away every year after Christmas just so we weren't getting that feeling but now school holidays don't permit it.
My big pressie this year was a new camera. Its tiny. A Nikon Coolpix so I can fit it in my handbag. I never take as many pics as I could as I hate trapesing round with my big camera all the time. My Canon camera is amazing and it takes fablous pics but you have to set your photos up so its not really a quick point and shoot camera.
So hopefully you should see more pics on here next year now.

Im working all day tomorrow and then Im off till next year.

S x

Car trouble

As the title suggests Ive had car trouble today. All I can say is it was lucky it was on my day off, lucky I was near the garage and lucky it was still in warranty by 7 days.
Alot of cars now have computers in them and mine malfunctioned today leaving K and I sat in the garage for 2 hrs where we got it fixed. Still I was very lucky that they could fit me in and they could fix it today. I thanked them very much for this and whats 2 hrs in the general scheme of things anyway.

I had been looking for wallpaper for my conservatory. We have one wall and then there are windows on the other 3 sides so its only going to take 2 rolls. the trouble is I can't decide on a wallpaper as there is just so much choice.. I got a few samples a month ago and blu tacked them to the wall and every week since I come back with more I like. Today was no different. I found 4 more and I had to put these up too so its currently like a patchwork quilt in there. Im going to just have to make a decision and be done with it.

S x

Last minute as per usual...

I don't like being a last minute kind of girl but it always works out that way. Up until today I had bought nothing for Christmas, no presents, cards, anything. My Mum has finished hers a few weeks ago. Why can't I be like that.... I always seem to have 100 jobs on the go at any one time. See at the moment Im in the middle of decorating my conservatory, waiting for new blinds,wanting to decorate numerous other rooms before the big day. Ive been finishing a few bear orders, sorting out a party for Kaitlins birthday next month and working full time too. So as you can see Xmas has been far from my thoughts so today I went to town and bought my Dads presents. (yipee)

I found some really cool photo frames in Marks and Spencers a while ago. They are black and the appature is 8 x 10 and they have a mount, all for £9.50. My intention was to put 3 on the stairs with pics of the kids. I have a lovely one of J except his hair is a bit long but as he has his brace now he won't let me take another. W informs me none of the pics I have of him are any good because they were taken pre hi-lights and pre straightening and K is growing so quickly I need another one of her. So thats my plan for tomorrow, taking pics of W and K to go on my wall.

Heres the pic I have of J.

Susan x

Im in the mood for dancing.......

Im back after my little jaunt to Manchester on Tuesday, where I went to see the Nolans in concert. Wow what a great show is all I can say. It was brilliant and id highly recommend it to anyone who wants a good night. What I love about them is they are real women with real figures who can really sing and they are down to earth.

I went with my friend and we had a lovely time in Manchester, shopping and eating... We stayed in a great hotel where they helped us no end, explaining how to get to all the shops we needed to find ( as a girl has to ). I even drove there which is a feat for me as I don't like going out of my comfort zone when Im driving. I only feel confident in areas I know but Im determined to beat this and get out and about.

Ive also had a really busy week with family. K has been invited to 3 parties in one week, W had a school trip tonight and I have to go and pick him up at 11.30pm.... Its all go. I can't wait for the weekend to just be able to chill out.

S x

On a mission

The kids enjoying time at the beach in Torquay

Im currently on a mission to find things to do for free or at least not much money. We have cut our outgoings by more than half over the past 12 months to give us more available money at the end of the month. Whilst this is a great feeling I now look at the value of everything from days out to meals to the weekly food shopping.
Now every week I meet up with a few friends and we hang out with the kidlets. We tend to go to the local playcentre and have coffee or lunch while the kids play. last week we decided to do things a little cheaper so after picking up our little ones from school we walked up to our park. Its a fair walk from my house so it took a while as a 3 year old only has little legs so you tend to go quite slowly. We spent a good hour at the park and the kids had a ball on the swings etc. Next we set off to collect conkers. I used to love collecting conkers when I was little. K thought she had to collect every single conker she saw and had filled our bag before we knew it. So another hour went by with this endeavour. Then off we went to our local library. Its years since I went and I couldn't find my card so I needed to rejoin, so K and I joined together. Wow it was kidlet heaven in there. K loves books so she was in her element. They have dvds you can rent for the children too so we spent another great hour in there.
So a totally free 3 hours of enjoyment which I enjoyed more then the playcentre as I usually come out of there with a headache from the noise of 30 little children screaming at full volume for 2 hours.

S x

All quiet on the home front

Its nice to have a quiet week sometimes. As Im self employed each week varies depending on what appointments I have. Im very lucky that Im very busy most of the time but I do get the odd quiet week. Where I might work 20 hours instead of 28 to 30. i had such a week this week. As my baby had gone to school every day I made the most of it, my ironing was up to date and food filled the cupboards and all meals were planned in advance ( never heard of here).
I have been planning a couple of trips though. In 2 weeks a friend and I travel to Manchester to see the Nolans in concert. We are staying the night and having a girly shopping day the next day. I was a little bit young for the Nolans but I remember all their songs. I get up on the dance floor whenever they come on ( LOL ). My friend is a couple of years older so they were full strength when she was a teenager going clubbing. I can't wait.....
Next Phil talked me into going to London with him to watch a football match. I won't go to the football but I will go and have a 3 hr wander around Harrods. I love this shop. It is the biggest shop you can imagine, over 5 floors and you can buy anything you want. If they don't stock it they know where to get it from. This time of year they have a Christmas department selling all things Christmasy. Very expensive but I will buy a decoration to add to my collection. The tiolets are unbelieveable too. They are very ornate and they have a lady to help you ( with what I don't know). They also have a table with all the best perfumes to sample.
Then they have a whole floor or nearly a whole floor dedicated to toys and children. When K was born I bought a cd from there that was filled with songs with her name in. Then the bears, they have loads of steiff and other makes. Im sure I can while a day away, never mind a few hours.
Up the road from there is a charity shop which has wonderful items in it. It might be because the whole area is posh that they have so many designer clothes and household items but I always go in for a gander.

S x