Twinkles and more: Seasonal

Showing posts with label Seasonal. Show all posts

This week's My Captured Moment is a few photo's from Father's Day, which was last week.

We'd prepared presents the night before, so the kids were all super excited when they woke up and couldn't wait to 'help' Simon open his presents.

We went to Harvester for breakfast, and although the food was okay, the children were not. They were all little monkeys, so we decided to needed to get out for a couple of walks, so they could burn off some of their crazy energy!

We had arranged to pick my Dad up for an afternoon walk, so before that we took the kids to a local park for a bit of a play.

After the recent rain, it was nice to have some sunshine, so we all had lots of fun just playing and enjoying the sunshine.

In the afternoon we ventured a little further afield for a nice long walk in the country. It was actually a place my Dad used to take me when I was younger, so it was quite special to go for a walk there on Father's Day.

Although the photo's aren't the best, they still capture the fun we had on this special day and with my Dad now being 72, I know I'm very lucky to be able to share this day with him.

We had a lovely day celebrating two very amazing dads (plus Simon's Dad, who was on holiday).

I hope you all had a special day too.

J x

I know some people scoff at new years resolutions, but I think they're really useful. I love how January is a time of reflection and thinking about how we can do things in the future to make ourselves even better.

Before starting to write this post, I thought a good place to start was by looking back at the resolutions I wrote last year (you can take a look here). Overall I didn't do too bad. I got a sub 60 min 10k (58:28 is my new PB); I'm not sure how many miles I ran in total as I didn't track them all, but it was a fair few; and I got a new job, so I'm much more focused and motivated at work. The only one I'm not sure I achieved was the one about not stressing about silly things - I need to try harder at this one!

So, here are some of the things I'd like to achieve this year...

1. Grow my blog - I love working with different brands, so I'd like to do more brand collaborations. I want to continue to grow my social networks and I'm also really keen to attend a blogging conference this year too.

2. Learn how to use my SLR - this kind of sits with the goal above. I want to know how to take great photo's without using auto.

3. Run a marathon - I'm so lucky that I secured a ballot place for the London Marathon. I now need to train effectively to make sure I get over that finish line!

4. Get to 9st - The closest I've been to this since having children is 9st 4lbs, two years ago. I'm hoping marathon training and healthy eating will help me get there. I haven't worn a bikini since having the twins and I really want this year to be the year that I get back in one. Getting down to 9st will give me the confidence to ditch the one piece!

5. Get organised - 2016 is the year I get myself organised so that I don't double book an event or occasion again! Towards the end of last year Simon and I turned up to the twin's review evening at nursery only to find we were a day early - whoops!

6. Help to grow the company I work for - I work as a Marketing Manager for a small, but growing company. Being small means that what I do can have a big impact on growth. I'm keen to make a real difference this year.

7. Be more positive and stress less about the silly things - this is carried over from last year, or as I like to call it work in progress!

So, there we have it - realistic (I hope) goals for the year ahead.

What are your goals for the year ahead?

J xx

It's almost here, only two more sleeps to go!

This year it feels like the run up to Christmas has lasted forever. I think this is probably due to the retailers promoting it so early.

I like Christmas but find the run up a bit intense and tiring! Christmas burnout anyone?!

Now the big day is almost here, here's what I'm looking forward to the most:

Catching up with all our friends and their children on Christmas Eve afternoon. We have a lovely pub near us which is very child friendly so we all head there on Christmas Eve for a few drinks while the kids all play together. At 5pm we're off for a meal at a lovely local restaurant with my mum, dad and the kids. We should be back by 7pm to do the usual carrots, mince pie and beer for Santa before getting the kids to bed.

Seeing little excited faces on Christmas morning as they realise that HE has been!

Getting a few treats. As much as I love seeing the kids all excited, it's nice to receive a few treats too! Simon is very good at buying good presents which is a bonus!

The feast! I love food and Christmas Day is all about guilt free indulgence.

Going to Florida. On Boxing Day we're heading to Orlando for a week. We're going to visit the theme parks, including Disney. The kids are so excited and will love it. It will be lovely to get a bit of sunshine too!

Having a break! The past few months have been hectic. I started a new job in August which is great but very busy, plus the run up to Christmas is hectic with Christmas parties, nativities, shopping and more mayhem then usual. I've been feeling a bit run down the last few weeks with a cold and sore throat. I've got a couple of weeks off work over Christmas so it will be nice to be able to take life at a slower pace. No school runs or juggling childcare. It's nice to hit pause once in a while and spend some quality time with those who matter most.

What are you looking forward to this Christmas?

J x

I've had the most lovely weekend and the fact that it was Mother's Day yesterday was like the cherry on top.

All of the kids have been lovely this weekend and we've had a great time together, just doing simple things.

I don't work on a Friday, so it always feels like the start of the weekend for me. Me and the twins normal go shopping or out for lunch with my mum. This Friday we did a bit of holiday shopping in prep for our Portugal trip, which is less than 3 weeks away and we also had a spot of lunch. The twins were lovely to each other and I managed to capture some rare moments of twin love. They did get a little carried away whilst waiting for the food to arrive, which resulted in Henry smashing a plate on the floor - whoops!

On Saturday, I began the day with a 4 mile run. It felt good and I was quite quick too. I love starting the day with a run.

Oscar had been invited to a party, so Simon took the twins for a coffee and some more holiday shopping. I enjoyed catching up with some of my mummy friends at the party.

In the evening Simon's mum babysat, whilst we went out for cocktails and a meal, in Nottingham, with my parents.

Sunday was a bit of an early start with Oscar waking us at about 6am. He was excited about giving me my Mother's Day pressies and cards!

My mum popped round first thing too, so it was a morning of gifts and excitement!

Oscar had a ski lesson at 10am, so we met Simon's mum at the Snowdome for more gift giving and a spot of breakfast.

On the journey home everyone (including me) was exhausted, so we had a sneaky nap. Henry was the first out of the three to wake, so we 'played' in the car!

We then had a lovely late lunch at Pizza Express, which was yummy. Oscar and Simon made dough shapes and the twins coloured and played with the stickers we were given, whilst we waited for the food to arrive. Everyone was really well behaved and the food was fab - a perfect way to finish the weekend!

I hope you had a magical weekend too.

J xx

I've seen quite a few Mother's Day gift guides, so I thought I'd put my own together. I've tried to include something for everyone, but have to admit that I have been slightly selfish, with my plan being to direct hubby to it throughout the year for gift inspiration. It makes life easy for him and I (hopefully) get some of the things that I'm lusting after - it's a win, win!

1. Pandora bangle - £55

I have the original bracelet, along with the leather one, but I really like this one too! I think it's a bracelet that you can wear with anything.

2. Liz Earle Superskin Heros Collection - £34.50

I love all the Liz Earle stuff. It's great for all skin types and the packaging is lovely. This set contains everything you need for a spot of pampering.

3. Urban Decay Naked 2 - £38

I've heard lots about the Naked collection eye shadow palettes and they are apparently a 'must have'. I think this one would suit most skin types.

4. Hotel Chocolat chocolate - £16

My favourite chocolate. As well as the taste, I love the package too. It feels like such a treat. This one contains a selection of the bars, so there is something to please everyone.

5. Sponge cake - £12.50

I've dropped numerous hints about getting one of theses massive cakes, but I'm still yet to receive one, so thought I'd add it to the list. I adore cake (who doesn't?!) and these look absolutely amazing. I'm pretty sure most mums out there would love to receive one of these.

6. 'Live your dreams' Watercolour A5 notebook - The Peppermill - £2.45

Perfect for those who like to make lists (that'll be me then!). I adore beautiful stationery and this is lovely. I really like the words on the cover and it's a bargain at £2.45

7. Appleyard Flowers - £34

I know some people think flowers are unimaginative, but can you really go wrong with this gorgeous bunch?!

8. Accessorize Z necklace - £15

Oscar is now at the age where he likes to choose me a gift. He particularly likes to buy me "jewels" (he's going to make a great husband). This lovely necklace is perfect for summer.

I hope you manage to find something either for your own mum or maybe as a treat for yourself.

If you are a mummy I hope you get something lovely this Mother's Day or at the very least a nice long lie in!!

J x

Spring is in the air. The nights are slowly getting lighter, the weather is getting warmer and I can hear birds. I hate winter, but in contrast absolutely love spring (and summer), here are the reasons why:

The warmer weather
Getting Oscar, a typically lazy five-year old, and two-year old twins ready to leave the house in winter can only be described as a military operation. By the time I've managed to locate everybody's hat, scarf and gloves, along with making sure fingers are in the right holes and coats are fully zipped, I'm ready for a lie down! Warmer weather also means new clothes for us, often in gorgeous pastel colours that make you smile and feel chirpy. Plus sunshine makes us all happy!

The lighter nights (and mornings)

The days seem longer, which as I'm sure most mums would agree can only be a good thing.

Outdoor trips

Trying to amuse three children in the house all day is pretty much mission impossible. You think you've cracked it when everyone is quiet for a few minutes, only to find that the reason they're actually so quiet is because they are creating their latest piece of artwork... on your newly painted wall - arrrgh!! Spring means (free) trips to the park, where we can all run around and play games together, or trips to the farm to stroke the baby lambs (aww). The kids love it and happy kids make for happy parents!

Ice cream
Days out mean lots of soft whippy ice cream eating. My uplifted mood means I don't even mind the kids getting it all over their nice new clothes.

Easter

For us Easter means time off work (and a holiday this year - yippee!), and chocolate. Lots of scrummy, gorgeous chocolate. After being good to shed the Christmas excess, Easter is a welcome respite. After all isn't it obligatory to gorge on silly amounts of chocolate..?! Whatever the answer is, I don't care I'm doing it anyway!

Race season

I'm a keen runner and the race season begins around March time. Races help me stay motivated to keep running and the kids love to come and watch. They think it's great when I get a medal. The lighter nights also make it so much easier to get out of the door to go for a run and the warmer weather is much kinder on my skin than the harsh winter wind. It's a win all round!

So there you have it, the reasons why Spring is just so ace. Although, it should also be said that I think the best thing is that when it's all over you're left with summer! Now, don't even get me started on that..!

I hate winter (apart from Christmas of course)! I hate miserable cold weather. I hate how it's dark when I leave for work in the morning, and dark when I leave work at night. I'm not quite as cheery in winter and I hate how it affects my skin and how I often end up with a cold sore or two (evil things!).

However, this year I've created a list of things that get me through this horrible season - my winter survival kit. I thought I'd share here:

Berocca - definitely 'me on a good day'! It makes me less tired and helps keep those pesky cold sores at bay.

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser - a lovely rich cleanser. It's removed with a muslin cloth, so you get a gently exfoliation every day.

Liz Earle Super Skin Concentrate - the days I work, I spend quite a lot of time outside walking to catch trains, I also run a couple of times a week. As a result of being outside my skin can get quite dry. I've been using this both morning and night and my skin is lots better.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - this is a cult beauty classic for good reason. I've used it for years, and it's the best thing for treated dry, chapped lips.

My Nespresso machine - Simon bought me this for my birthday last year. I wasn't sure we'd use it that much, but we do. I love how it makes the milk all frothy and makes my coffee seem like an indulgent treat (even when using skimmed milk). It certainly provides a little pick me up during the winter months.

Exercise - it really does help lift my mood. Running is my sport of choice. However, I do find it hard to motivate myself to get out at night when it's cold and dark. I've recently started to do a spin class once a week. I've heard it will improve my running, plus it's indoors! Investing in some new funky gear helps keep me motivated and encourages me to get out of the door.

We're now at the end of January, so not long till Spring! In the meantime, those above will help to keep me going.

I'd love to hear your tips for getting through the bleaker months. Feel free to share.

J xx

I tend to keep my New Year resolutions realistic, to ensure I actually have a chance of achieving them. This year will be no exception.

I thought I'd share them here, in the hope that writing them down and being able to refer back, will mean I don't forget them when life gets in the way.

So, here goes:

1. To run 500 miles by 31 Dec 2015.

2. To achieve a sub 1hr 10k personal best.

3. To be more focused at work - last year our extension was a huge distraction and now it's done, I want to be more focused.

4. To spend less time stressing about silly things like house work and having a tidy playroom, and more time having fun with my lovely kids who are growing so fast.

Wish me luck!

J x

I've had a bit of a break from blogging over Christmas week, but in order to capture the memories of Christmas, I thought I'd illustrate my past week using just photo's, so here we go...

Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas too!

J x

So, a few weeks ago, I posted some tips for having a stress free Christmas, which I'd pledged to follow. Well it's not quite going to plan!

Life appears to be getting in the way of my plans! Our extension is now almost finished (full post and pics coming soon), but we've just had our ensuite refurbished and it's taken longer than planned (doesn't it always?!). We had our house valued last week by our mortgage company, so evenings were spent painting and general tidying to ensure it was at it's best.

This weekend, we had Simon's work Christmas party on Friday night, which was a great night, but as we stopped at his parent's we didn't get home until lunchtime on Saturday. Then we had to purchase a tree, which is always a bit stressful and lots of: "It's too wide"; "Too tall" "You decide" "Where's Henry gone!". We then visited my sister, as it was her birthday. We finally finished the day by decorating the tree (once the twins were in bed).

The tree is up!

So far, here is where I have got to:

I've started to wrap the presents and plan to dedicate a few evenings to getting them all finished this week - this is probably wishful thinking and despite my best efforts I'll still be wrapping on Christmas Eve!!

I have about seven more presents to buy, which I hope to get on Friday.

I have some Christmas cards, but they aren't written - I'm actually not a massive fab of Christmas cards anyway, so always struggle to motivate myself to write any.

Oscar and I are all sorted for the Nativity, so no last minute costume or booking time off panics!

We've purchased plenty of wine for the festive season (I may need to break it open sooner!).

Table decorations for Christmas Day have been sourced - thanks Matalan and Poundstretcher!

Everyone who is coming for Christmas Dinner has been told what they need to be bring.

My outfit is all sorted for my Christmas party.

Actually now I've written it all down, I'm not doing too bad. Maybe I don't need to crack open the wine just yet. I just need to crack on with the wrapping and card writing!

J xx