Week 1 of #Project366 - A photo every day for a year!

Here we go again a new year of taking a photo every day and sharing it on here only this time it is Project 366 instead of Project 365 with it being a leap year.

It's a short week from me this week as I did a long post finishing 2019 off on Tuesday. I have added an extra photo to this week. Week 1 and I'm bending the rules. Oops.

1/366 - 1st January

I didn't take any photos during the day on New Years Day but there was plenty just after midnight. We had a lovely evening playing board games, chatting, listening to music and there was of course a lot of snacking.

2/366 - 2nd January

Christmas was officially over when I ate the last slice of Christmas cake.

3/366 - 3rd January

We went to get Becky's heart scanned again. They missed a couple of readings and photos off the scan she had in November so it was better to be safe than sorry. We went to the cafe we always visit when we go into town for a late lunch. All day breakfasts all round! I took a photo each of the girls and I couldn't decide which to use so there is both of them. They're growing up far too fast. This year they turn 13 and 18. Eek!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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

This week my Word of the Week is:



Happy new year! I hope you have all had a good start to 2020 and the new decade.

It's hard to think what we've done over the last week. Every day seems to have blended into one. Most days I didn't even know what day it was. The decorations were taken down at the beginning of the week and it feels so bare. It has made me realise that we really could do with decorating in here. We haven't decorated downstairs since we moved in so it needs doing.

We had a fab New Years Eve. We had a party tea and played board games. It was so much fun, Pie Face never gets boring. The girls are at an age now where they can easily stay up until midnight and they did.

We had a lazy start to the year. We did nothing on New Years day apart from eat and watch films. It was just what we needed after a late night. It was a fantastic end to the festive season! Yesterday I made the kids get dressed and have a walk out. They were not amused, they want more lazy days.

I'm not one for making massive resolutions, just little changes to make mine and my families life better. My main changes this year are to be in bed by 11pm on a school night, always eating lunch, I have got into a habit of skipping it when I am busy and getting outside at least once a day for some fresh air even if that means standing in the garden for 10 minutes.

I am very excited about watching all the new TV starting over the next week or so: Call the Midwife, The Greatest Dancer, The Masked Singer, The Voice, Dancing on Ice and later on in the year there's the Olympics & Euro 2020!

The New Year is starting with a couple of medical appointments for us. Today Becky has another scan on her heart. They need a few more results that they didn't get at her last appointment. It's nothing to worry about they just want to make sure they have everything covered. We will of course be doing a bit of shopping while we're in town. The kids have money from Christmas which is burning a hole in their pockets and I have finally got an appointment to change my contraceptive implant, the same one I have been wanting changed since November. Hooray! I am dreading it already but I'm sure I'll be fine. lol

Becky goes back to college on Monday and Stu goes back to work too but Ellie doesn't go back until Tuesday. She is very excited about that extra day off. She wants to have a day of fun with me so we're planning on doing some baking and doing some crafts. 

How to keep your New Year's resolutions!

The new year is all about starting anew! Giving up those bad habits and make positive lifestyle changes. I made a couple of small new years resolutions which I will try to stick to. Going to bed by 11pm on a school night, not skipping lunch and going outside for some fresh air at lease once a day, even if it's just into the garden.

35% of us who make New Year's resolutions break them by the end of January. Here is some ideas how to keep those New Year resolutions:

Start small 

Make resolutions that you think you can keep. 

If you want to exercise don't bother signing up to the gym. Start with walking or exercising in your home. If you would like to eat healthier try replacing the chocolate with fruit instead.

Pick just one resolution.

Taking on too much all at once can be scary but focusing your efforts on one specific goal makes keeping a resolution much more achievable.

Avoid the popular resolutions.

Losing weight, quitting smoking, getting fit etc. Everyone does these which means you’ll be faced with competition and you will compare yourself to others.

Pick a start date!

You don’t have to make these changes on New Year’s Day. Just pick a day when you know you’ll be well rested, enthusiastic and ready to go.

Talk about it 

Share your resolution's and goals with your family and friends. Having someone to share your struggles and successes will make things much easier!

Don't make the same resolution as last year.

If you've already tried and failed your self belief will be low and you might give up at the first chance.

Be realistic!

Resolutions that are too small will not motivate you but if they’re too big they can be overwhelming. Try and find something in the middle.

Chart your progress! 

It feels very good to check things off and cross them off. If on your calendar you’ve marked off five days doing your resolution you won’t want to break it on the sixth day.

Plan rewards!

Rewards are a great encouragement to keep you going. When I have had lunch every day for a week I will have a treat one on Friday. A sandwich from the bakery or a chip butty from the chip shop. That will get my daily dose of fresh air outside too! 

Don’t give up!

Do bear in mind that a slip-up is almost inevitable and you must not let this become an excuse to give up. When it happens draw a line under it and start again! 

Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality. Good luck with your resolutions!

Have you made any New Year resolutions this year?

The highs and lows of 2019!

Last year I did the highs and lows of 2018 and I thought this year I will do it again. It was a great way to recap the year! Before I even start writing this blog post I know most of it going to revolve around us moving house and starting a new life in Scunthorpe. (Sorry).

1. What was your happiest event?

It has to be moving house, away from Ashington and being closer to my dad and his partner Sarah.

2. What was the saddest thing to happen?

As much as we thought it was fantastic to be moving house we did leave everything we knew. It was so sad to say goodbye to our friends and Stu's family.

3. What was the most unlikely thing to happen that actually went ahead and did?

We moved house and everything went to plan. It went way better than we expected. Before we moved we worried about Stu finding work, he did within a couple of months. We worried about Becky settling in college and Ellie at school and they did, better than we expected and we worried about lots of little things but everything went well.

4. Who let you down?

 Ellie's old school with the bullying situation. The head of year and especially the art teacher who she said she was so proud of Ellie and how mature she was to just ignore the bullying that was targeted towards her. She just rose above it. It was good my girl ignored it but the teacher did nothing to stop it which I think was so wrong!!!

5. Who supported you?

Mrs M. A wonderful friend from Ashington. She was sad to see us leave but was so supportive. My dad and his partner Sarah. They helped so much with the move. My dad coming with a van to move us and Sarah cleaning the whole of our new house and blogging friends. A special mention has to go to Jayne from Sticky Mud & Belly Laughs she's always there when I need blogging advice and a little chat. 

6. Tell us what you learned?

Being 40 isn't as scary as people make it out to be and neither is claiming Universal credit. (I have more about that soon). I can still ride a bike and having a bigger kitchen means I like cooking and baking more.

7. Tell us what made you laugh?

My girls. They always make me laugh. Ellie is a little tart at the moment. She dumped a boyfriend and had a new one by the next day. She's growing up fast! Becky does make me chuckle. Sometimes she acts like an 17 year old and older but other times she forgets herself and gets so excited over the littlest things. It's a joy to see and rather funny.

8. Tell us the things that made you cry?

Leaving friends. Especially Mrs M and the people Stu worked with. When we went in to say goodbye I couldn't look at someone Stu worked with and she couldn't look at me as we knew we would make each other sob! All in all it's been a happy year!

9. Tell us three things your child or children did to make you feel proud. Please miss this question out if you are not a parent.

I can't keep this to just three things so I am going to say what both of my girls did separately and then together.

Becky has made me so proud this past year. She worked hard towards her GCSE's, passed quite a few and more than was expected, told me that she wasn't straight and didn't know what she was but had a girlfriend, got a part time job in a shop and settled in well at college.

Ellie lasted the last few months at her old school despite her mental health suffering, she started in her new school and settled in so well, made a ton of new friends, she has became more independent and learned how to ride her bike.

I am proud of both of my girls for taking the house move so well, getting along better and helping more around the house.

10. Tell us the things that made you proud of yourself.

I have done things in the past year which are way out of my comfort zone. Speaking to strangers (I'm shy), standing up for myself and saying no more. I used to be a yes person, agreeing to things because I didn't want to offend or upset. Life is too short to do things that I don't want to do.

11. Tell us the challenges you overcame?

The biggest thing is that I stepped back and let the kids have more freedom. They now go out with friends more as it feels much safer here than in Ashington. I don't go running to the school and college when they have issues. I let them sort things out themselves which has worked well so far.

12. Tell us the things you would like to change about your life in 2020.

I would like to get a part time job, I would like to decorate the house and I would like to lose some more weight.

Happy new year! Wishing you all the best for 2020.