Week 26 of #Project365 - A photo every day for a year!

I had planned to play catch up with Project 365 after moving house and post double on Saturday but we have worked like troopers and all the boxes are just about unpacked, there is just upstairs to do. Yesterday evening I managed to change the name of my blog which I am so chuffed about!

Now for a photo every day! 

171/365 - 22nd June

Ellie and Stu sorting her toys. She did really well parting with things that were broken or she'd grown out of. I expected her to have about 8 boxes but she only had 2 full of toys.

172/365 - 23rd June

I put the sofa on a Facebook selling page and the Freecycle website and someone came to collect it on Sunday. The kids had to make do with sitting on bean bags until we moved.

173/365 - 24th June

I found these cookbooks in the back of a cupboard. I used to use them when I was a kid. They must easily be 40 plus years old.

174/365 - 25th June

One last fry up from our favourite cafe in Ashington!

175/365 - 26th June

The night before we moved house. Everything was brought downstairs including the mattresses to sleep on. The kids thought it was fantastic fun!

176/365 - 27th June

Moving day! The view from Ellie's bedroom. I love it! If we could have fitted mine and my fellas bed in I would have claimed that bedroom. lol

177/365 - 28th June

The new sofas were delivered and it was nice to sit in something which wasn't a dining room chair. We sorted the living room and it really feels like home now!

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I'm not Northumberland Mam anymore! Introducing Life As Kim!

For over 6 years I have been Northumberland Mam but we have moved house and we are no longer living in Northumberland (I will be blogging all about that soon) so I thought the best thing to do was change the name of my blog too.

When I started blogging I knew nothing about blogging! Nothing at all! I didn't know the done thing was to use your own URL. All of these years I have stuck with the free blogger address and I have been happy with it. I made a point of sticking with it after a nasty troll said I wasn't a real blogger because I used the free blogging platform from Google. I knew I had to change my blog name. Not living in Northumberland and being called Northumberland Mam didn't make any sense and I didn't want to start a new blog. 6 and a half years is a lot to just drop and start anew so the only thing for it was to buy a domain name and add that.

To be honest I did not have a clue what I was doing but with the help of a lot of guides online, YouTube videos and a few stressy moments it's working and I am now "Life as Kim"! If you notice anything which isn't quite right do let me know. I still have a few things to change over like my about me page and social media buttons but I'm getting there.

I will be changing my Facebook page name if they ever let me, I tried earlier but they were having none of it. I will have to change it slowly. Ugh. I have already changed my Twitter name to @LifeAsKimBlog. The name I wanted was taken, obviously by someone who has hardly tweeted so I added blog at the end. hehehe I have reclaimed @NorthumMam and it is just sat there doing nothing as I didn't want someone else to claim it and pretend to be me. I am sticking with my old names on the rest of my social media accounts as they weren't associated with Northumberland Mam. 

Over the past 6 months I have had so many blog names in my head. I had decided on one and even made blog and social media headers but then had a change of heart. Choosing a blog name is hard. It was so easy first time around but top tip, don't use a place name in case you do move out of the area. lol

 Nothing is going to really change on the blog. I will still be doing my Meal Planning on a Monday, Word of the Week on a Friday, Project 365 on a Saturday, a photo on a Sunday and maybe a review in-between. The header has changed and I have had a tidy up on the sidebar to the right and that's about it! After the trouble people had with themes on their blogs earlier in the year I really don't want to go changing too much.

So there you have it. I've changed my blog name. Please do correct me when I call myself Northumberland Mam. It's going to be a hard habit to break!
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We're moving house so I'm taking a break from blogging.

It seems like I've been banging on about moving for ages but tomorrow is the day we actually move. I was going to post this tomorrow but I thought I would do it today so I have one less thing to worry about. Believe it or not I am still not really stressing about the move. I did have a little blip at the beginning of the week where I shouted and stressed at Stu that I needed bigger boxes than the one's we had. I wanted to finish packing the kitchen up. It was not my finest moment. Now all the packing is just about done and we're nearly ready to go. Everything is going to plan so far. Phew!

Today I will be packing the last of the kitchen stuff, there's only a few plates left, the kettle and microwave. We're having pizza for tea tonight and takeaway coffee and bacon sandwiches tomorrow morning! No plates needed. The kids think it's brilliant! lol We have the landlord coming for an inspection, I can't see anything that she will complain about and we have a little bit of cleaning to do too. I swear if the person who moves in here after us is so lucky. The house is spotless. Tonight we will all be camping out and sleeping in the living room. The kids can't wait. I am less than enthusiastic. I have a family full of snorers. lol 

My dad has hired a van and is helping with the move. He will be here early tomorrow morning. We have 1 run to the tip to do then we can put everything in the van and we'll be off. Eek!

I am going to be taking a break from blogging while we move and get settled. I think it's for the best. I could have scheduled blog posts but I think the break will do me good. I have been daily blogging for about 6 and a half years. I am due a break. I will be about on social media as the we're only having to go for about 24 hours without the internet. Phew!

I did mention in last weeks Word of the Week post that when I come back from the break I will be changing the name of my blog. I have bought a domain and will be adding that so it will be something dot co.uk instead of it having the blogspot bit in. All that will be changing is the name, the header and my Twitter user name. 

If you do visit and things are looking a bit different here don't worry it is me messing with my blog! I am more worried about changing my blog name than actually moving house. lol I will be reintroducing myself when I am back to blogging which should be in couple of weeks or so if all goes to plan! 

The Summer Tag!

I do love a tag and I haven't done one in a while. Last week was the first day of summer so I thought I would go with The Summer Tag!

Are you a summer person?

Yes and no! I like the sunshine, it really seems to motivate me but I am not a fab of the heat!

What is your favourite thing about the summer?

The kids being off school. This year with Becky finishing her GCSE's and us moving house the kids have a very long summer break. We have about 9 weeks to have fun and make some memories.

Do you stay indoors or outdoors more in the summer?

Usually I stay indoors during the summer but tomorrow we're moving house to somewhere with a proper garden instead of just a concrete yard so I am going to make the most of it and spend more time outside and hopefully do some gardening.

What is your favourite summer clothing?

I always seem to wear 3/4 length jeans or leggings and t-shirts or vest tops. I am not one for wearing shorts.

Do you prefer to keep longer or shorter hair in the summer?
I keep my hair the same length but I do wear it up more in a ponytail. I always feel so sweaty and hot if it's down.

Beach or Swimming pool?
Beach. We always have so much at the beach as a family. I get to sit and relax while the kids build sandcastles, look in rock pools and paddle in the sea!

What is your least favourite thing about the beach?
The sand! It gets everywhere and then when you get home you are finding sand for weeks!

What is your favourite summertime song?

Bikinis, tankinis, or one pieces?
None but if I was forced to wear one it would be a one piece.

Favorite BBQ food?
Sausages! Simple but so delicious!

What is your favourite ice cream flavour?

I can't decide between strawberry and chocolate. I like to buy Neapolitan ice cream so I get a bit of everything. hehehe

What is your favourite drink during the summer months?
During the day it has to be lemonade with ice in but I do like a cocktail. Something like a frozen strawberry daiquiri.

Do you or eat out more often during the summer?
We eat more picnics and the kids love sitting outside in the sun eating but I prefer to stay inside and eat. 

What is your best summertime memory?
The days at the beaches we've had. Northumberland has some gorgeous beaches and we have been to a few.

What annoys you most about the summer?
Wasps. They are just evil!

Are you a fan of the summer?
Do feel free to copy these questions and answer them yourself.

Our weekly meal plan! 24th - 30th June. #MealPlanningMonday

This is the week we move! Eek! I am excited but nervous at the same time. Everything has gone to plan and seems to be going too well. I'm just waiting for something to go wrong. Eek!

I am going to try and plan the meals this week but it's going to be hard with moving and unpacking. I don't expect it to go to plan at all. lol Last weeks was a disaster. I got to the point where I didn't care anymore. We were eating food out of the cupboards so it didn't really matter. One night Ellie ended up with a pot noodle mixed with tinned meatballs in tomato sauce. On Friday it was payday so we ended up getting a chippy tea from the chip shop and on Saturday we had a party tea with chicken bits, garlic muchrooms, pork kebabs, sausage rolls and nibbly bits.

This week on the menu we have:

Monday - Everything that is left out of the freezer. Probably breaded chicken, onion rings, microchips and baked beans.

Tuesday - Hot dogs in buns.

Wednesday - Pizza. One last meal from our favourite takeaway at the end of the street.

 Thursday - Moving day! Fish & chips from the chippy.

Friday - Hopefully the food shopping I ordered is getting delivered. I'm going to buy some ready meals because we will be unpacking still.

Saturday - Fajitas or something like that.

Sunday - A roast dinner which I can't wait to cook. In the new house we will have a gas cooker. For the last 12 years or so I've had electric which I hated.

One last party tea. #MySundaySnapshot

We decided to have one last party tea in this house before we move. It was a great way to use up all the paper plates and bowls Stu found on top of the kitchen cupboards. I know there's a lot of food but it will be eaten today too. I am not planning on cooking. hehehe

Week 25 of #Project365 - A photo every day for a year!

What a week. It doesn't feel like I've stopped. I am today though. I am having a day off from the organising, planning and packing to move! I need it. I can feel myself starting to feel run down and I really can't be doing with that. I need to be fit as a fiddle for the upcoming week.

Now for a photo every day!

165/365 - 15th June
I feel like a bit of a rebel. Out twice in two weeks. This time it was Stu's work friends for a leaving do. It was a brilliant night and I laughed so much my ribs still hurt the next day.

166/365 - 16th June
Father's day and Stu was very happy with his cards and presents. 

167/365 - 17th June
She's happiest when she's playing the Sims on her computer.

168/365 - 18th June
Ellie had been having some trouble at school and I was absolutely fuming about it. We had a good chat about what had been going on and what I was going to do to fix it. She seemed happier and the bullying issue was sorted at parents evening on Wednesday. As much as Ellie has thrived at that school I am glad we are moving away from the bullies so she can have a fresh start.

169/365 - 19th June
I'm cheating a bit with this it was a screenshot that I captured on my phone totally by accident. It's the only picture I have for Wednesday. It's my favourite game at the moment.

170/365 - 20th June
Pretty flowers Ellie brought home. I gave her a good lecture about picking flowers from peoples gardens. She said she didn't but they are not the type of one's that are just randomly in the street. 

171/365 - 21st June
I had Becky earning her keep. hehehe I wasn't being a slave driver though. I washed the armchairs down and hoovered them.

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This week my Word of the Week is: Last! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

It seems like so much has happened this last week. We have all been breathing a sigh of relief for different reasons and we've had quite a few lasts. 

Becky finally had her last GCSE exam! Hooray, they are all over. She did so well and hardly stressed at all. I did all the worrying for her. She worked hard and now we just have to wait for the results. The end of August feels ages away but I have a feeling that it will fly over.

This will be my last Word of the Week post for at least a couple of weeks. We move house on Thursday and I'm going to take a bit of a break from blogging. It will also be my last WOTW as Northumberland Mam as I have decided that when we move I will be changing the name of my blog. I have bought the domain and I've read all the guides so I'm halfway there to adding my own URL. Eek! I will be around on social media. I can deal with a blogging break but not being offline completely. hehehe

The main reason I am changing my blog name is because we are moving out of Northumberland. Yep, I've kept it a secret. We did want a bit of privacy while we sorted things out. I of course will be blogging about where we've moved when we are there and settled.

Ellie has her last day at her current school today! We had always planned for her last day to be today with us moving and her school being too far away to travel to each day but after the last week today couldn't come soon enough. If you have read here over the years you know Ellie has been bullied off and on since reception class. We tell the school, they sort it and it dies down but it always starts back up. It started again over the past couple of weeks and it all came to a head this past week. We spoke to the heads of year and they were helpful but Ellie has had enough, I've had enough, we've all had enough. I'm not slating the school, they have been great, it's the bullies who have been relentless! We are hoping the move and her new school will give Ellie the fresh start that she needs. 

While we were at parents evening we did hear how Ellie was getting on. Every year she has been way behind her peers and not meeting her targets but this time she is smashing through them!! They have an end of year target of +1 and there's a few subjects where she's at a 2 and higher. French, music, art and Science. I am so proud of her. She works hard, she doesn't daydream anymore and the only bad thing they could say that she was a little too quiet. We couldn't have been happier.

Over the weekend we're going to do the last of the packing, well as much as we can do and we are going to have one last party tea on Saturday night. Next week we will be giving everywhere a big clean, we have one last run to the tip to do and that's about it. We're as ready as we can be. It's going to be a big change for us all but we're excited.

Recreating a photo on our favourite bench.

A couple of weeks ago we had a day out in Amble. Our happy place. Over the years of visiting there has been a bench where we always seem to take photos.

Way back in 2006 there was Becky and I. This was our first day out as a family. At the time we didn't know we were going to be a family as Stu and I had been together for a while, it was still early days. It was a time where Ellie wasn't even thought of and we didn't know that Amble was such a special place.

In 2013 we had an amazing day out to Amble. It was the hottest day, I of course got sunburnt and I took this photo. I loved it so much that I got it printed onto a canvas and it's on our living room wall! Ellie was about 5 or 6 years old and Becky was 10 or 11 years old.

In 2017 there was another trip to Amble and our bench. Ellie was 9 or so years old and Becky was about 14 years old.

A couple of weeks ago we visited again and took the same photo on the bench. It is crazy to see how much my girls have grown up in just a few of years. I know kids grow up but seeing them in the same spot over the years does feel so strange.

Becky especially looks grown up. More a woman than a girl now and Ellie has more of the tween/teen look about her too. I think the only one which doesn't look any older is Stu. lol

A yellow bathroom wish list.

We have lived in this house since 2011 and it's rented and the rules were that we weren't to decorate too much so we have kept things pretty plain. White walls and popped colour in with accessories. When we move next week the house we're moving into has fewer rules and we are free to decorate how we want to. 

We have decided to go for yellow in the bathroom and I have quite a few ideas. We have found the perfect paint which isn't too bright but also doesn't make you think of wee. lol The bathroom is huge compared to what we're used to. To put it into perspective the new bathroom is the same size as our old kitchen. lol

Good Grips Hideaway Compact Toilet Brush - £20.99 - Amazon

Sunflowers Wall sticker - £19,99 - Wall Art. com

Hi Vases Set - £10.00 - Next

Skandi Soft Close Bin - £4.99 - B&M

Bamboo 2 Piece Bathroom Accessory Set - £36.99 - Wayfair

Rubber Ducks Shower Curtain - £5.00 - Asda

Bath and Pedestal mat - £9.00 and £5.00 - Asda

Yellow Framed Mirror - £15.97 - Soak

Set of 3 Ceramic Ducks - £14.00 - Next

Anzirose Round Laundry Hamper - £10.41 - Amazon
Woltu Floating Shelves - £19.99 - Amazon

What do you think of all the yellow? Is there anything you like?

Loneliness Awareness Week.

Did you know this week is Loneliness Awareness Week? Loneliness is a common feeling and should be without stigma or shame.

Studies have shown loneliness is as damaging as obesity or smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. In 2017, the Marmalade Trust launched the first Loneliness Awareness Week (LAW) with the aim of raising awareness of loneliness and creating a society where it is spoken about openly and normally. This year one of the event’s key aims is to reduce the stigma of loneliness.

People rarely talk about loneliness, despite this being a common feeling. When people do talk about it, they often refer to loneliness in a negative way saying it is something that is ‘suffered from’ or ‘I admit it, I’m lonely’.” 

I sometimes feel lonely especially now since I don't have to walk the kids to school. When I did I would see and chat to people on the school run now I sometimes go for days without speaking to anyone apart from the kids, Stu and my dad on the phone. I do like to spend time alone but sometimes I do get lonely. I do have friends that I meet up with most weeks and I could quite easily pick up the phone and ring them but they have their own lives and I feel I don't want to bother them. I'm sometimes my own worst enemy.

I've made a promise to myself that when we move house I will make the effort to get out and about more and meet more people. I'd class myself as an introvert, it's going to be hard for me but loneliness can get boring. 

How to help with the loneliness:

Find A Hobby.

Boredom adds to loneliness. Find something to occupy your time. Make sure that what you choose has some social aspect to it. Taking pictures in the park or joining a group of some sort.

Volunteer.

Focusing on the needs of others steers your mind away from sad thoughts. It’s impossible to feel lonely when you’re helping someone.

Take a random bus or train somewhere.

Taking public transport to a random location forces you to do two things, be in the company of strangers, and change your environment. Doing this will ward off loneliness.

Step back from Social Media.

Social media breeds loneliness by giving you false perceptions. Seeing photos of everyone living their best lives and happiest times is not good. We compare our lives to theirs and it's wrong.

Tell your friends.

A lot of times you think that you are the only one that is lonely. I bet you are not!

Marmalade Trust’s vision is to create a society where loneliness is recognised openly as something likely to affect us all. They have over 300 organisations across the UK partnering with them to raise awareness, support people to find friendship by hosting events and raise money to help them do more. You can see what events are happening near you and add your own activity or event.

Do you ever feel lonely?

Our weekly meal plan! 17th - 23rd June. #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went OK. We skipped having the salad on Wednesday as it was just too chilly. We had sausage, mash and baked beans and on Thursday we had chicken burgers, new potatoes and peas. We used most of the salad stuff in sandwiches. I did end up throwing some stuff out which did annoy me but I'm not stressing. It's hard to juggle emptying the freezer and cupboards to move house, the stupid weather we've been having and keeping everyone happy with the meals.

This week is the last full week in our house so all the meals are going to be quick and simple. I managed to do the food shop for just under £70 which wasn't bad considering I got a bottle of wine and cans of lager for Stu.

This week on the menu we have:

Monday - Leftover sausage casserole. I made double yesterday and don't really want to put it in the freezer like I usually do.

Tuesday - Soup with ham sandwiches to dip in.

Wednesday - Beans on toast. We have Ellie's parents evening.

 Thursday - Mushroom omelette and chips.

Friday - Pizza.

Saturday - A Chinese fakeaway. The ready meals from Iceland. Egg fried rice, chicken in batter, spring rolls and noodles.

Sunday - A fry up. Sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding and toast.

All dressed up. #MySundaySnapshot

It's not often my fella and I have a photo together but last night we got a nice one. We were on our way out to meet with his work friends.

Week 24 of #Project365 - A photo every day for a year!

How rubbish has the weather been! It rained here for about 3 days and yesterday I thought it had stopped but by 11am it was chucking it down again. Ugh! Bring back the sunshine!

The preparation to move is going well. We're getting there with the packing and I got around to telling the water, energy and people like that we will be moving and it all seems so straight forward doing it online. 

Becky has finished school and just has to go in for one more exam next week. It's nice having her here. It's a bit of company for me and she's a great help around the house. hehehe

Now for a photo every day!

158/365 - 8th June

Fuming! Ellie has had this water bottle for nearly a year and it was still in great condition or so I thought. I was going through her bag and saw it. Her "friend" had written all over it with permanent marker! She'd even written her name. Ellie was trying to hide it to keep her out of trouble. I am hoping to catch her mother at parents evening. I did write a note in Ellie's planner for the teacher to tell the girl to leave Ellie's belongings alone! Grr!

159/365 - 9th June

I am usually good at getting the school uniforms washed. Over the weekend I failed and forgot. I'm so glad it was a nice sunny Sunday afternoon to get them dried out on the line.

160/365 - 10th June

My favourite part of a chicken dinner is the roast parsnips. Every time I walked into the kitchen I was eating one. I had to stop myself before they were all gone. 

161/365 - 11th June

Becky had her last day at school. She only had to go in for exams after. One more exam to go and she's done!

162/365 - 12th June

Both of the kids have something against wearing coats and it drives me insane. I nag and nag but it's a losing battle. I just let them get on with it and get cold or wet. I expected Ellie to come in from school on Wednesday wet and grumpy. She was soaked but in a surprisingly good mood.

163/365 - 13th June

With packing everything upstairs we decided to take the beds down because both Becky's and mine and Stu's needed throwing out. We're sleeping on the mattresses on the floor and even though there's nothing wrong with Ellie's bed she wanted to do the same. Now her and Becky are in the same room so we can put everything we've packed into Ellie's room.

164/365 - 14th June

We had a slow start to Friday. Becky on her tablet and Stu & I watching the TV. It was nice.

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This week my Word of the Week is: Left. #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

Becky my teen has finally left school. She had her last day at school on Tuesday and was home just after lunch. She had a day of rest on Wednesday. It was chucking it down all day and neither Stu and I felt very motivated to do anything. It was his day off so I just let them do what they wanted instead of nagging them to do jobs around the house. Becky used her time wisely and did some more revision. She has just one more exam to do next week and then she has really left school.

We have just under two weeks left until we move house and the upstairs is done. Our bed was just about falling to bits so Stu took it to bits and threw that out and Becky's was creaking and cracking whenever she moved on it so that went out too. We are left sleeping on the mattresses on the floor but I am sleeping better than I have in years. The mattress isn't sinking through the cracks in the slats and it's made it a bit firmer to sleep on. Ellie's bed was the only decent one but she wanted to sleep on her mattress on the floor too, she didn't want to feel left out so she's been moved into Becky's room.

We finally finished packing up Ellie's room. It was hard work but made easier but packing most of it while she was at school. She wanted to keep everything, every ripped book, every battered doll and every single piece of play food. I kept lots for her but did throw out anything that was too young for her or broken, three black bags full of rubbish! Eesh!  Everything that is boxed and bagged up from upstairs is now in her bedroom. It was actually a good idea. We're not tripping over everything that is packed now!

Yesterday Stu rang Sky. We were all set to drop the TV package and get the Super Fast broadband but after speaking to them (they were so helpful) and finding out we are still in contract with them until August we dropped the kids channels which saved us £5 and the evening and weekend calls which was another £5. On the last bill we made £3 something worth of calls, none of them on an evening or weekend so paying the £5 seemed a bit pointless. We are still getting the super fast broadband and it turns out we're only paying a pound more than we're paying now. lol Not bad considering we get about 18mb's per second here and when we move to the new one we'll get at least 68mb's per second. With us being loyal customers they're also not charging us all the activation, engineer and whatever other fees that usually come along with it.

We'll get disconnected here the day we move, broadband connected at the new house the day after an engineer out the next day to put the Sky dish up! Hooray! I'm not going to tell the kids the internet is back on until the house is unpacked and we're settled. I'll be taking a break from blogging so they can take a break from YouTube and Roblox. hehehe 

I also contacted the water, council and British Gas to say we're moving and sort things with them. It's so good that I could do it all online. I will be so glad when I don't have to talk about moving anymore, it's taking up all of our time and thoughts at the moment.