Tuesday, 30 December 2014

"Rememberloutions" instead of resolutions? hmm.. might give this a try!


Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed

Tired of making New Year’s resolutions you never keep? Do something different this year and make “rememberlutions!”

Tired of making New Year's resolutions you never keep? Do something different this year and make "rememberlutions!"
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed
New Year’s resolutions can be energizing and motivating, but they can also lead you to beat yourself up; focusing on the previous year’s failures to figure out where to do better next year is no way to live. And when you don’t keep your resolutions (yet again), you can feel completely defeated.
So instead of focusing on shortcomings, prepare to celebrate each awesome thing that happens next year.

Make a jar now that you can fill with memories and accomplishments over the course of the next 12 months.



You can review and remember when the ball drops at the end of 2015!

In order to make one of your own, all you need is a garden-variety jar…

In order to make one of your own, all you need is a garden-variety jar...
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed
Any size, any shape. Whether you’d like a lid or not is totally up to you.

And a plethora of craft supplies.

And a plethora of craft supplies.
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed
We used googly eyes, yarn, stickers, paint pens, and copious amounts of glitter. We found that a glue gun was the best way to make all of the trinkets stick to glass, but glass/metal glue worked as well (it’s about $7 at any craft store).

Then go to town. Several folks chose to festoon their jars with inspirational quotes and reminders.

Then go to town. Several folks chose to festoon their jars with inspirational quotes and reminders.
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed

When your jar is decorated to your heart’s content, it’s time for the rememberlutions themselves.

When your jar is decorated to your heart's content, it's time for the rememberlutions themselves.
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed

Over the course of the year, whenever anything happens that makes you proud, write it down and put it in the jar.

Over the course of the year, whenever anything happens that makes you proud, write it down and put it in the jar.
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed

It doesn’t matter how big or small it is.

It doesn't matter how big or small it is.
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed

Nor how personal.


Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed

All that matters is it’s yours.

All that matters is it's yours.
Lauren Zaser for BuzzFeed

And when you empty it at the end of 2015, you will remember all the rad things you’ve accomplished.

49 new years resolutions for twentysomethings from Buzzfeed


I plan to modify this for my resolutions- but the whole list is pretty cool. :)

Fox Searchlight / BuzzFeed
1. Cut down on drunk texting, or at least try to.
2. And if you do end up drunk messaging an ex, just shrug it off. Don’t spend the entirety of your next day hungover, hating yourself.
3. In fact, learn to shrug things off more often. Let 2015 be the year of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
4. Stop dieting: Just eat more fruit and veg and drink a ton of water.
16. Dive off of the highest diving board at your local pool.
5. Although, it’s probably about time to stop eating all your meals in bed. Greasy pizza stains are a nuisance to get out of sheets.
6. Figure out how to re-create your favourite takeaway food at home.
7. Revisit places from your childhood that were memorable, whether it’s the gym you used to go for tumble tots or the pier where you ate your first ever ice cream.
8. Figure out what makes you tick, what you actually feel passionate about, and delve further into it. Never stop learning.
9. Learn to reshuffle your schedule so you have more time for creative projects, and make sure you finish those projects.
10. Pick a European city to visit this year.
11. Ride the scariest roller coaster you can think of.
12. Stop beating yourself up about missing the gym, instead find a form of exercise you actually enjoy.
13. Dance alone in your room whenever you get the chance.
14. Take a social media break.
15. Delete people who still send you Candy Crush invites.
17. Also, jump into a pool/the sea/a lake fully dressed this year – you’ll feel so badass.
18. Have dessert for breakfast and breakfast food for dinner.
19. Ditch phones when you’re eating with other people.
20. Stop worrying about when to text someone you like. Don’t give into all those silly games this year.
21. Sing out loud whenever you feel like it.
22. Cry unashamedly.
23. Worry less about what people think.
24. Give more compliments.
25. Meet up with old school friends.
26. Clear out all the clutter in your room and clothes you no longer fit into.
27. Write someone a love letter.

28. Try a food you’ve never eaten before. Also, find out how high your spicy food tolerance really is.
29. Let go of the past, scribble all your worries onto a piece of paper, climb to the highest point in your city, and throw all those bits pieces of paper down. TAKE THAT PAST.
30. Frame treasured family photos.
31. Treat your parents to dinner.
32. Meditate, or at least try to.
33. Walk to places: Get off that crammed bus and let your feet do the moving.
34. Don’t spend the ENTIRE weekend on Netflix – maybe limit it to Sundays.
35. Dip your toes in a sea you’ve never been to before.

36. Spend an entire day at the arcade and see if you can actually win something.
37. Ask your grandparents about their childhood.
38. Volunteer in your local soup kitchen.
39. Spend a day playing one of the older versions of The Sims and try not to use a cheat code.
40. Learn to use Excel properly.
41. Order your books and DVDs, alphabetically or any way you like. Make a to-read/watch list to add to the collection.
42. Dedicate a Tumblr to your BFF charting your friendship and send them the link on their birthday.
43. Give blood.
44. Do some crafty DIY hacks around your home to make the place more cosy.
45. Invest in matching underwear.
46. Start a Mexican wave in the queue for a nightclub.
47. When you get a wedding invite, actually make the effort to go. Don’t fret about your plus one; take a friend and be the first to hit the dance floor.
48. Ditch all frenemies; you don’t need any people in your life you secretly can’t stand.
49. Learn to make the first move, be bold, be brave, be the first to dance, grab 2015 by the horns
.

Sunday, 28 December 2014

Camden

Today I met up with Tony in London for an afternoon of shopping in camden.
:D
And we got to have street market food which is possibly the most delicious food in the whole world! I had chinese for a change- usually I gat moroccan- it's all amazing.

After eating far too much food, we headed out around the market for a look-see.

My biggest regret of the day is not buying these:
Image Display
However, they are £90 still even in the sale, and the soles on them are spongey so I doubt I'd get my moneys worth of of them (The rule = £1 per wear in 1 year = The cost of the item, the only exceptions are evening wear or items who's life expectancy is well over a year, e.g cars, bed linen or really good boots).

I only bought useful items- I got a hippy looking rug for the bedroom and some new cushion covers to replace some of the ones in the front room which have gotten broken/stained/worn.
I'm pretty proud of my house purchases lately!
Our place always had it's own "character"- you'd know we lived here as soon as you walked through the front door!


Tony got his mum's birthday present, and we did lots of mooching- Camden is really pretty, and it was nowhere near as busy as I'd expected!
All the train "Chaos" (It's not chaos, it's planned engineering work and it happens every year, people just need to learn to read! Especially up by us- there have been signs up since september warning people about festive travel restrictions) seems to have scared people away, or stopped them attempting to travel.
Bigger fools them!







Friday, 26 December 2014

Boxing day

Nothing really exciting to report here I'm afraid- our 1st grown up xmas together as a couple has been followed by our first grown up boxing day!
Traff had work at 8am, and finished at midday -we met in spoons for some brunch (he had an all day brunch, I had a jacket potato with pulled pork and honestly it was the smallest jacket potato I've ever laid eyes on! maybe the staff are trying to tell me something?!)

We had food and then headed into town- not to hit the sales- but instead, to buy ourselves a new washing rack from wilkos!
Very exciting.

So we got home about 3pm- I put the laundry on and changed the bed as we had some way of drying it (The old laundry rack gave up on Xmas day and folded itself up with all the washing on it, stuffing up the hinges).
I never thought I'd get excited over laundry.

As a reward for our sensible shopping we got some new xbox games in CEX- Traff got all the retro Sega games on one disk, and I got 2 new guitar hero games.

We spent the afternoon with Traff trying to teach me how to play Sega games- I'm quite good at columns and street fighter now but really rubbish at Sonic 1. Apparently Sonic 2 is easier...
Karl came over to play with Traff and that seemed to be much more successful.
We ordered take away pizza- after we found the xmas dinner in the oven having been too pissed to remember to put it into the fridge yesterday (oops!)- and followed that up with guitar hero and gins!
:D
It has been an awesome day!

Thursday, 25 December 2014

festive cheer...


Looks like my parents have had an awesome day too- I suspect there may have been some alcohol involved...

Xmas day!

Xmas day! :D
We got up at about 9am and had presents- We had loads of awesome stuff and we need to thank lots of people.
We were all wrapping papered out by 11am and ad cracked open the celebrations. Traff got me Harry potter top trumps so he spent quite a while teaching me to play. It turns out I'm not very good at it.
I lost twice.
Traff also got me the new Placebo album and a rasputina one- he got xmas bang on! :D
I had a new urban decay lipstick from my Nan, dresses from my parents and sister and lots of quirky household goodies. Including indoor firework fountains from Kirstie- I might try them on the festive cheesecake later! I had lots of new books, sewing patterns and crochet.
Hayley got me some trashy baubles for my tree and bananas with googly eyes!
Ray got Traff his favourite footballers signed captains band. his year is now made.






We got all washed and dressed and phoned family- It's been a really weird day because we haven't seen anyone except each other! It's been good though- just a shame we're both snotty and gross!
I ate Kirstie's delicious home made gingerbread for breakfast and had to make decisions about how many items of clothing it's possible to wear at once.
I am wearing my new white Vera Wang dress- I wanted to wear my new xmas jumper (from my mum) and snood (hand made by Hayley!) but it was a few too many layers for indoors with the central heating on!



Whilst Traff made the dinner I painted my sun catcher and made my mosaic- and I didn't get any glue or paint on me or on the sofa!
:D


I put my seattle (gravy coloured) T-shirt on over my dress for dinner.
After dinner TV and mooching- I forced traff to record the national ballet as theres no way he'll watch it but I can watch it tomorrow.
We planned to watch the Kurt and Courtney film on netflix but we're both so tired and icky I can't see us both staying awake for a whole film- we'll have to watch stuff in shifts!

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Xmas eve

Today did not get off to a very brilliant start- I forgot that my alarm for work was still set for 6am- I hadn't heard it at Jay's because
a) My phone was 3 floors below my sleeping place
b) I forgot my charger so it was probably off already by Monday morning- and deffo off on Tuesday!

I now have a full on cold- complete with headache, bunged up face and cough- So once awake that was pretty much me done for.

Traff tried to go to Tesco this morning for milk and spread-but gave up having seen how crazy the car park was- he managed to get in a sneaky waitrose shop (Only dawdlers and old people- no crazy xmas shopping at 10am apparently) but he forgot to buy more Lemsip, So I was dispatched to town an hour later.
Wilkos was less crazy than I had expected.

On the way back through town I had a look in some of the charity shops and see if there was anything worth having- I got a black Paul Costelloe coat for £11 and 20 super retro 70s baubles for £1.
Bargains!



I spent the afternoon trying to fit all the new baubles onto the tree and reading a new Jodi Picoult book that Traff got for me- I'm not a massive fan but I did like "My sister's keeper". It's an easy ready. it'll keep me quiet over the festive period.
Traff made home made chips for tea- Which were amazing! They made Xmas lunch at his work yesterday and had loads of potatoes left over- They presented Traff with them as he was leaving because he's vegetarian so would appreciate a whole carrier bag of potatoes.
I'm reasonably sure it's not just vegetarians who eat potatoes- but I'm not knocking free food!

I'm listening to the Classic FM xmas requests show- trying to work up motivation to actually practice playing something this week- and enthusiasm for mass later.
I'm so tired and snotty I doubt I'll be awake at 11 to go to church, let alone awake enough to follow an order of service.




Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Wales

I arrived in Wales really late on Friday night- after my ice cream eating antics- All ready to be in Cardiff early for Alice's 2nd Birthday.
Getting up early enough was not an issue- Jay started hoovering at 5:45am because he was awake. We headed to Sah's early and had a chance to catch up with Sah and Dan before all their families arrived- It was lovely to catch up with Chaz, and Steph- as well as Sah and Dan's parents who I haven't seen in ages- Not since the last wedding!



Once Sah and Dan's was full of relatives, we decided to make our escape- We headed up to see Baker and Helen- and Bowser.
You can't see in so well from this angle, but he is a pug, not a wig.

We followed this up with a chinese and a million episodes of House.

On Sunday, Jay took me out for a spin on his bike- We chose a rubbish day really as the weather was much better on Saturday than on Sunday- I did enjoy the adventure once I'd gotten used to it- but I still think the car is the way to travel.
The wind is so noisy!
Not to mention the time it takes to put on all those extra layers of clothes- I thought I was going to die of heat exhaustion walking up the steps to the house afterwards!
We stayed in on Sunday- Jay cooked his speciality Pineapple pork- Which was very impressive and we watched more house.

On Monday we met with Sah and Alice in Cardiff- Jay had xmas shopping to do and Sah had birthday shopping to do- It wasn't crazy busy but I was glad we got the train rather than trying to park- It would have been a bit of a nightmare!
We were sucessful in getting everything we came for- and we had lunch in spoons too! They don't serve Cawl in spoons in England- I have to take every opportunity that is presented to eat this delicious national dish!

On Monday evening, Trist, Hayley and Dai came over to Jays for a mooch and a catch up- Trist bought 2 boxes of wine and drank most of them to himself. Which was interesting.