Mind dump Monday

Hey lovelies,

I hope you had an absolutely fantastic Easter holiday.

Especially today.

It was nice to wake up on that Friday morning, not having to go to work, everyone I spoke to at work the last week of term, staff & student, seemed to be ready for the Easter break.

I went shopping with my best bud at the start of the holiday & it was so nice, spent a fortune & you know what, I’m not sorry.

I started my Easter holidays with such enthusiasm & expectations of what I wanted to do, the 1st Thursday I went to our local Bradgate Park & had a history lesson, we didn’t go for that reason but that’s how it ended up. I bloody loved it, even though I ruined my boots & they ended up in the bin.

It’s now Thursday 12th April & I’m wondering where the last 2 weeks have gone??? I’ve certainly not done all the things I wanted to do but I’ve certainly loved the relaxing break & although, I feel like I could’ve used my time better, I’m ready for the next term.

I had 3 main things that I wanted to do, get started or order the stuff needed for them & they are my annual clean9, having a go at bullet journaling & starting my home study course, I’m really pleased to say that I’ve got the stuff for all 3, I’m starting my clean9 tomorrow (Friday) & aiming to have a go at starting my bullet journal layout over the weekend, I’m aiming to have my bullet journal started & a study plan within my bullet journal for my course by the end of April (wow, how many times can a person say ‘bullet journal’?).

Well, it’s my 1st day back at work after the holidays & I’m wondering what the new term has in store for me? Will I have reason to worry, be excited or…both??

One thing I’ve done a lot of over the holiday is binge watch Disney vlogs, me & Richard are planning a Disney World holiday in 2020 & we’ve (well, me mainly) been researching hotels, food options, things to do & see, basically EVERRRYTHING Disney. Hehe. I seriously can’t wait & I’m so excited about planning it too, I’m annoyed that we can’t book it until next year because of the date we want to go & we’ve got to save it ourselves between now & next January.

I hope you have an amazing week ahead.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Healthier breakfast ideas

Hey lovelies,

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but not everyone eats it.

I know, if I don’t have breakfast, I don’t function well through my morning & my brain doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. I’m one of those people who get ‘hangry’.

We really need to realise the importance of starting our days out right, regarding our food intake. Having a healthy breakfast will help kick-start your metabolism & help set you up for a healthy run of food through the day.

Here’s some healthier breakfast ideas;

Avocado & poached eggs on toast –

I prefer my avocados smashed, I think they taste better with the eggs & the yolk has to be as runny as possible without it being ‘snotty’. It’s delicious with pepper.

Granola, muesli & honey with almond milk –

The honey goes on 1st, then the milk, definitely better.

Honeydew melon & parma ham with poached eggs –

Try cutting the melon into chunks & wrapping the parma ham around them.

Smoothie & a piece of fruit –

I already have one healthy smoothie recipe – A taste for a Smoothie – Berries go Bananas. I’ll share more as I acquire more.

Overnight oats –

Recipes to follow.

Natural yoghurt, berries, granola & honey –

Being lactose intolerant, I can’t have ordinary yoghurt, so I have plain coconut yoghurt. I always put the fruit in the bowl 1st, then my coconut yoghurt, then the granola & lastly, the honey.

They are so easy & I’ll follow-up this post with more recipe ideas.

I hope you have an amazing week.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Blogpost Ideas, Seasons

Spring blog post ideas

Hey lovelies,

I hope you’re having a glorious start to the week.

I wonder how many of you noticed my little mishap last week?? I didn’t realise that I’d scheduled this post for the wrong day, I scheduled it for last Friday instead of today & it was nowhere near finished. I’m really sorry about that.

Here’s some Spring blog post ideas –

Your Spring bucket list
Some Spring blog post ideas
Your monthly favourites throughout Spring or one Spring seasonal favourite
Your perfect Spring day
What you take to a picnic
How you plan the perfect BBQ
Healthy breakfast ideas
A Spring clothing haul
Your Spring make-up look
You Favourite Spring scents – candle, perfume, body spray, room spray etc
What Spring represents for you

In the past I’ve done seasonal blog post idea lists full of every post I can think of for that season but this time, I’ve just put ones that I actually want to fit in to my post schedule throughout Spring.

I hope you have an amazing week.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Mind Dump Monday, Personal

Mind dump Monday

Morning lovelies,

I hope you had a fab weekend.

Well, we survived Monday, that in itself is a reason to pop party poppers & celebrate.

We certainly should never underestimate the power of a glorious Monday, it’s the one day of the week that has the power to plan out the rest of your week & if you’re not careful, it could turn out to be a very bad one. We never know what Monday will bring, the only certainty with a Monday is that start of the week feeling & the theme for the week. If for whatever reason, today hasn’t gone very well, we’ll have to work hard to change the way the traffic’s going, before it causes a pile up. I consider myself a very strong person but even having a bad Monday can sometimes shake my core.

How cute is this?

How profound??!

Life can sometimes be shit but at least I get to turn it around.

I’m on the look out for a book with dotted pages, I want to start bullet journaling, I need to find a way to help me stay organised & I need to develop a study schedule, I’ve seen a few fab bullet journal ideas over the past month or so & I want to give it a go. I’m hopefully going Lincoln later this week, so I’ll have a look in paperchase while I’m there to see what they’ve got, failing that, I don’t know where to look, I’ve already looked in WHSmiths & The Works, none of which were any joy. I’m not keen on ordering online because I want to be able to feel the quality.

If you have any suggestions, I’d be grateful for any tips.

Have a really productive week.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Bucket List, Spring

My Spring bucket list

Hey lovelies,

I want to make some glorious memories over Spring this year.

Making a seasonal bucket list is a way for me to think about all the things I want to do over the up coming season.

I’m looking forward to spending some warmer nights with loved ones & fab food.

Here’s my Spring bucket list –

Go on a nature walk
Visit a garden centre
Go Spring clothes shopping
Have or go to my 1st BBQ of 2018
Take pics of some Spring flowers
Go on my 1st picnic of 2018
Swing on some swings
Plant ANY veg &/or fruit
Declutter my crap
Do some baking
Take some pics in the rain
Visit a farmers market
Finish reading a book
Host a games night
Host a girls night
Go dancing for my birthday
Get a new different hair cut
Go around Lincoln like a tourist
Go & feed the ducks – DON’T FEED THEM BREAD!
Book a holiday
Watch a sunrise
Watch a sunset
Have a couples picnic
Paint my nails a different colour every Friday night
Plan 2 meals a week
Find a new easy meal prep recipe
Develop a weekly or monthly pamper routine
Get some pieces for my wardrobe that ACTUALLY reflect my inner style – WITHOUT RESERVATION
Spend the weekend in Nottingham & visit Nottingham Castle & Robin Hood
Go around the town I live in like a tourist
Actually stick to a blog post schedule
Go for a drink, alcoholic or not & maybe food in a pub that I’ve never been in before or that I’ve not been in for years
Go on a distillery or brewery tour with Richard
Spend at week at Richards mums
Start my nutrition course & plan out a study schedule
Hire a boat or go on a boating trip
Watch the stars
Have dinner under the stars
Make my own granola (from scratch)
Go for a walk around my estate with my camera
Do some reading outside
Try our local butchers for some good quality meat
Try 1 or 2 new Spring inspired recipes
Have a lunch date with a family member
Have a lunch date with a friend
Do a car boot
Help organise our Ataxia Uk summer fete
Buy some flowers to have in the house
Have breakfast outside (preferably with Richard)
Host an afternoon tea party
Try some new smoothie recipes
Start coaching session through work
Start a course at work

The ones I’ve written in Italic are the ones I’d really like to make sure I manage to complete. I wrote my nutrition course one in this colour to point it out to me & remind me of what I need to get done, (I print these bucket lists off, so I can put them on our fridge door where I can see it, OFTEN).

Wow, I swear these lists get longer every time I do them, I have copied some over from last years bucket list so there’s more than there originally was & I’m hoping that I’ll do more than I did last Spring (we’ll see). I worked out that if I plan my time right, I can do about 8 of these whilst at Richards mums (in Lincoln).

I hope you have an amazing week.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

2017 Favourites, 2018 Favourites, Season Winter, Winter Season

My 2017/18 Winter faves

Hey lovelies,

It’s been a while since I’ve found enough favourites to do a months worth, so I thought I’d do a seasonal one for Winter.

Over the Winter months, I’ve discovered quite a few different things I’ve enjoyed.

My Winter favourites

My Google Keep App –

I use google keep for lists, notes & reminders, I have it on my phone & my laptop, it’s a life saver, I use it everyday for one thing or another, me & Richard both use it, we have a shared shopping list on there so we can both add stuff to the shopping list so, when whoever (usually Richard) goes town can get what’s needed. Over christmas last year it was so helpful, I used it for present lists, food lists, card lists & party lists, it helped me keep track of everything over christmas.

Maple & bacon crisps –

We only seem to see these around Christmas time, they taste delicious, I don’t know if they’re available now but they are so good, M&S do some amazing flavours.

Salt spray –

I discovered this last christmas & I really wish I had a before & after pic of what this does for my hair. This gives my hair a truly amazing look, it says to spray it on towel dried hair but I find that I get the best results if my hair is a little wetter than that. My hair is naturally curly, especially underneath, that’s where my hair curls the best, the top hair goes wavy & tends to frizz but this gives the top part of my hair more defined curls, it’s the best thing I’ve found for my hair to look like it’s supposed to.

Plantur 39 shampoo & conditioner –

I started using this shampoo & conditioner late last year, I noticed last year that my hair feels thinner than it used to & I wanted to look after it more, I seen this & thought I would give it a try, I’m so glad I did. Firstly I used the one for thin & brittle hair, it was good but after switching to the one for colour treated hair, I’ve noticed that my hair feels a lot softer & feels & looks in better condition. It’s not the cheapest at £7 & £9 a bottle but last year I decided that if there’s something that’s going to help me or make my life easier & I want it, then I’m going to pay the extra for it.

This Christmas song –

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas by Gayla Peevey. This song makes me so happy & gives me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I hear it.

The voice reader on my blog –

Since discovering this it has made proof reading my blog posts easier, faster & funnier.

Works myHr self-development web page –

Here’s my last blog post, it gives all the info about the page – What I found I have access to at work has made me feel excited for the next 12 months at work.

There’s not as many as my past favourites & I’m sure I’ve forgotten some but here’s the main ones.

I hope you have an amazing week.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Development, Improvement, Personal

What I found I have access to at work has made me feel excited for the next 12 months at work

Hey lovelies,

I decided to write this post because I was genuinely surprised & pleased by what I found, I don’t know why I was surprised, I should’ve known about it but, as you know, 1 day turns into 2 & then, before you know it, a week has gone by & then a full month, the only time I sign into myHR is once a month, to check how much I’m getting paid but other than that, I only ever used it when I did my ILM course a couple of years ago. Today, however, I found it could be used for more than just that…

Within my company, we have annual PDRs (Performance & Development Reviews). Mine’s coming up soon & I’ve received my form to fill in before my PDR takes place, it’s not only an opportunity to reflect on my past performance but also, it gives me the chance to consider where I want to go & what I want to do in the next 12 months. With this in mind, I signed into myHR & took it upon myself to look at what’s available to me in the way of self-development help & courses. I was amazed at the amount of help & courses on offer to staff who want them, there’s even a Team Framework online tool, that allows you to answer 6 lots of questions about you, your job role & performance, it’s recommended that you do it once a year just before a PDR (how timely that I stumbled across it??). I’d love to try the coaching facilities, I feel it will be really helpful to me. There’s also a counselling service & you don’t have to go to them with just work issues.

There’s a link on the website just for staffs wellbeing & it’s all about making sure your physical, mental and social needs are met so you can achieve your full potential and be the best you can be, in Staff Development we’re offered the following courses which focus on our wellbeing.

Springboard Women’s Development Programme – The Springboard programme is designed specifically for women who wish to take stock of their lives and take time out to consider their own goals and aspirations. It is a personal development programme and the outcome will vary depending on how much you wish to participate and personally get out of it.
Fresh Steps – This programme is for members of staff who are open to reassessing their lives and setting new goals. It is a personal development programme and the outcome will vary depending on how much you wish to participate and personally get out of it.
The Mindfulness 8 week course to Increase resilience and effectiveness – This course is for all members of staff who are open to experience meditation.
Research shows that people who adopt mindfulness techniques as part of their daily life:
Have increased ability to pay attention and concentrate
Have raised levels of emotional intelligence
Have increased resilience
Have improved relationships
Are more aware of their surroundings
Time Management – This course is suitable for any member of staff who would like to improve their time management skills. It covers a number of areas including helping delegates develop strategies to help deal with identified obstacles to effective time management.
Art of Brilliance 1&2 – These workshops are open to all staff, delegates must attend session 1 before booking onto session 2. Both sessions inspire delegates to change the way they think about work/life and relationships to create a positive climate around them.
Understanding the Impact of Stress – This course is only suitable for individuals within a supervisory or management role. Attending this course will enable you to develop an understanding of the impact of stress in your own organisation and team members.
Becoming more Resilient at Work – This course is for all staff looking to increase their resilience and develop mental toughness at work.

There are numerous links & online toolkits on the website that could be truly helpful & I’m going to start making full use of them now I’ve discovered them.

One of the questionnaires I did was about how & what I do at work over the course of the 5 days, in one of the questionnaires was a question that I found to be a strange one – ‘I made a valuable contribution’ & you have to answer it by saying how many days you did so? I found it a void question because, surely, everyone who goes to work makes a valuable contribution to their job every single day, after all, if they wasn’t there, something wouldn’t get done so they obviously make a valuable contribution???

I’ve never worked for a company that (to my knowledge) offered all of these services, the only company I’ve been around that does is the armed forces, this may sound a little dramatic but the armed forces do try to help all of their forces personnel in any way they can & I feel that the tools I’ve found today will either help me or point me in the direction of someone who can. In my experience, the armed forces are like one big family & over the last 12 months or so, I’ve been feeling the same way about the company I work for. I’m yet to see exactly how available these services are to me & how easy they would be to attend but I’m going to try to find out.

This year is about trying to ease my stress & anxiety levels & to do things that make me smile, so I’m going to try & take advantage of everything that’s available to me, at work & home.

I’m excited for the next 12 months.

Have a glorious day.

Bye for now.

♥

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Apr
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Live Life With A Smile

Sarah Mordew

Mind dump Monday

Hey lovelies,

Healthier breakfast ideas