A Day In Southwold

What a lovey way to start the Bank Holiday weekend. A stroll along the promenade with the sun shining and the company of a good friend. We walked and chatted the length of the prom from the Pier towards the Harbour. When the prom ended we carried on following the shoreline choosing to walk on the rougher grassy area rather than the beach itself. If you like fish this is a great place to visit, there are places to buy fresh fish as well as fish restaurants. We had planned to walk from Southwold pier to a cute looking tea room in Walberswick for afternoon tea but it was a little further than we thought so we decided we would return another day with our waking boots. By this point I was getting hungry and really looking forward to my afternoon tea filled with sweet treats. We turned around and headed back towards the town to find a place to eat.

We walked passed a grassy green kind of area next to a pub. Single people, couples, friends and families had food and drinks from the pub as well as their own picnics. As the weather was warm enough to sit outside, we decided to join them and make up our own lunch. Instead of picking up some sandwiches from the local Tesco we walked past we were drawn towards the Two Magpies Bakery. It was difficult to choose what to order as there were so many yummy looking cakes and pastries on display. In the end I went for a mozzarella, tomato and pesto melt, hazelnut chocolate brownie and a latte. It was a very tasty meal, the sandwiches are made with thick chunky bread and the brownie was also a good size.

 

After lunch, we walked back to the pier and headed our separate ways home, her heading in one direction and in the other.

 

Do you have any lovely plans for the Bank Holiday weekend?



My Bank Holiday Weekend

Why does time off always seem to go by so fast? My five days off have sadly come to an end so I thought I would spend some time reflecting and sharing what I got up to. Thursday morning I dedicated to being kind to myself, relaxing in front of the tv catching up with some of the programmes I had recorded and having cuddles with my two cats. A few hours of the afternoon was spent looking at a job application I had promised myself I'd complete the week before. When school was finished I went bowling and stuffed myself with Pizza with a friend and his niece. Not a bad start to a little break from work!

Friday I spent the day with one of my closest friends, we did a little bit of shopping, me for my holiday and her for her baby who is due in May. We spent the afternoon taking some photographs of my friend, bump and her boyfriend. I know I'm a little biased but I think there are loads of really cute photos and am really pleased that I managed to capture some beautiful moments. I took most of them using the manual settings as I like to take them in black and white but I also tried to change different settings, wanting to get the light right and a blurred background in some (which didn't quite work). I have made the decision that after July when I hopefully, will know where I am going to be based for work, I am going to look into starting a photography course so I can learn more and improve my knowledge and skills.

 

Saturday was another day dedicated to relaxing. I didn't leave the house all day, I don't think I really left the sofa for very long.

Sunday was spent with family. My Sister, her boyfriend and I went to my parents for a roast dinner. Dinner was served around 2.30, I arrived just before two having left mine a bit earlier to pick up a few extra bits for my Sister and her boyfriend. My Sister arrived almost at the same time as the plates were being placed onto the table. It was lovely to have everyone sat together around the table, to spend time talking and laughing together. We swapped Easter Eggs and moved into the lounge to watch a film and some Gogglebox before heading home.

I'm not too sure why but I have not been in the best mood since Thursday. I find this odd and annoying because it has dampened my time off and things I enjoy like spending time with my friends and family. I wonder if it's stress and anxiety around the change that will quite possibly come in July when my contract ends at work. Although, I am feeling positive about the application I mentioned, I am still sad about changing teams as I have worked hard making friends and getting to know the colleagues in the team I am in and also there is a big cloud of uncertainty hanging over my head.

To try and shake this negative feeling off I knew I could not spend today inside so as soon as there was a break in the rain I grabbed my coat and walking boots and headed out. I drove to Brandon Country Park which is about an hour from where I live. I paid to park for over 2 hours which only cost me £2.50 and headed off into the forest. It was beautiful and peaceful. Even when the wind got up and blew hard through the trees it sounded like waves crashing on a shoreline which is always a comforting sound to me. I love the opportunity to be outside in the fresh air, the slight smells from the mud underfoot and the trees brought a smile to my face. A few patches of squelchy mud made me feel childlike and I wished I had my wellington boots on instead and could jump and wriggle around in it. I chose to do the 3.5 mile route and felt comfortable completing it alone as unlike some other places I have visited, this route is really well signposted so I had no fear or anxieties about getting lost. It took me just over an hour to get back to the visitor centre and café where I started, good timing as I was starting to get hungry. I popped in for an egg and cress bap and a latte which again only cost me about £5.50. I really should make more of an effort to visit more often, I felt really positive during my walk and on my way home. It felt good to have gotten out of the house, to get some fresh air, to be outside in open spaces, to feel productive and for the sun to show its face.

Hope you had a good bank holiday weekend, how did you spend it?

A January Update

January, perhaps not the best month of the year, the festive period fading into a distant memory fast, returning to work after a few days or weeks off, the dark mornings making it difficult to start the day and get motivated.

I have made a few small changes to try and increase my happiness and health. I have been using my journal to spend some time thinking about my day, to think about and appreciate things that have made me happy and things that I am grateful for. I have been listening to this guided meditation most mornings before work with positive affirmations. It is not only a lovely way to start the day but is also helping the shift in my perspective from defeatist to I can manage and enjoy today.

'Today is a great day'

I have also been doing Yoga Camp with Yoga with Adriene. I have tried to sit each day and follow the programme, however, this has not always been possible. I find it easier to make time for the shorter videos (20-30 minutes) and appreciate the time spent on the mat. The time spent moving into and holding different positions and stretches. Even time spent sat breathing mindfully with a scented candle burning is appreciated and I have been able to notice a difference in myself. I believe that the positive affirmations that Adriene has incorporated are helpful too. I feel stronger, that things are more manageable.

'I am capable'

The first full week back at work after Christmas was stressful but I don't think I can get away from that in the career I have chosen. However, as I mentioned above, I feel more capable, more able to manage it. Perhaps, beginning to have more faith in myself, my ability to manage and to do my job well.

To support my resolution to be healthier I have been making healthier choices when it comes to my meals, taking a balanced lunch to work most days and preparing and cooking for myself in the evenings. I have also been making the effort to not leave work too late so that I have the time and energy to show up for myself and follow all these things through. As well as this, I have also been making more time for friends. In the months leading up to Christmas I had no energy left after work to want to socialise, instead, I would just crash in front of the tv when I got home in the evenings and weekends. I suppose without realising it, this enabled me to withdraw a little.

I met a friend for dinner Wednesday evening at Chiquito and enjoyed a passion fruit mojito with my chicken fajitas and as we all need a treat once in a while I also had a banana fried in a cinnamon tortilla, yummy! I definitely think celebrating mid-week is something that needs to happen regularly from now on.

Friday evening a friend and I were invited to our friends birthday meal with her family where we along with her two sisters were asked to be her bridesmaids! What a great way to end the first week back after Christmas. I feel so lucky and thankful that another of my friends wants me to stand beside her on one of the biggest days of her life.

I hope you have all had a positive week and your resolutions, intentions or goals are going well

A Christmas Countdown

I didn't write a post last week, purposely because it would have been an outpouring of my frustrations. My work life balance, which was something I felt needed to change, has not. Perhaps in the few weeks leading up to last weekend it had gotten worse. I really notice the difference in the way I feel when I've not eaten healthily and recently I have not prioritised food shopping and cooking balanced meals. This along with having trouble switching off at night and sleeping led me to feel as if I was walking around in a haze, functioning on auto pilot without much thought. I was exhausted. Not good at any time of the year but definitely not how I want to be feeling in the run up to Christmas, a season I usually look forward to, one that fills me with excitement.

Last Saturday I took my Nan into town to do a bit of Christmas shopping. As with doing our shop for the Christmas shoebox, going out Christmas shopping has become something we do together. It gives Nan and I some time together and also allows her to pick some gifts for the family instead of giving money because she does not always feel confident going out alone. Our first stop was of course Greggs for some coffee and cake.

After our afternoon shopping I dropped Nan at home and headed to my friends for the evening. It has become a tradition for the three of us to go out to dinner instead of swapping gifts at Christmas. We decided to go to a local Indian restaurant. This was for two reasons, it tastes yummy and is really good value for money. We always leave stuffed and satisfied. Earlier in the afternoon I was telling Nan about our dinner plans and began to feel a little guilty, knowing my Nan really enjoys a curry. I ended up offering to order, collect and deliver a take away for her which she really appreciated and hopefully enjoyed.

We headed back to my friends and we made ourselves comfortable on her bed. It reminded me of when we lived with our parents and used to do the same in each others bedrooms when we used to meet up. The conversation turned to my love life, or lack of it and continued with discussions about online dating. We had some fun and laughs composing a profile and considering possible matches. However, the next day things did not seem quite so funny. Usually being single doesn't really bother me, I have had been busy with university, friends and family and been quite content on my own. Perhaps it is the time of year and the number of festive films that feature love, romance, relationships and happy endings.

Image from Pinterest

Last Sunday was my first shift this year at the Winter Night Shelter. It is organised in partnership with local churches and opens its doors from December through to March, the coldest months of the year. The night shelter has previously had three shifts; the morning, evening and night shift. This year they have decided to offer an extra Sunday afternoon shift and some additional afternoon shifts over the festive period. Due to work commitments this year I have volunteered to help out during the Sunday afternoon shifts once a fortnight. I was careful not to take on too much as I can sometimes struggle balancing work and my life outside of it. I turned up at the hosting church ready for my shift to begin at 1.30 and stayed until 4.30. In that time not one guest turned up. On the one hand that could be really positive, that they feel they do not need to come to the shelter because they have other places to go, I know that the library is a popular place due to it being warm, having free books to read and the internet to surf. However, what is not offered at the library is food and drinks free of charge. On the other hand, I am now a little hesitant to possibly give up time with my family on Boxing Day to help out at the shelter. I struggle with my negativity around this and wonder if I am being too selfish and focused on my own needs and wants rather than those of others. Perhaps, there is a little of my Nan's need to feel needed in me.

This week I have attempted to be kinder to myself, I have made a real effort to leave work on time, although there were a few late visits that needed to be made. I made a more conscious effort to have one hot meal a day, even if Thursday it was a jacket potato with cheese and baked beans. I felt better by Friday but I think having supervision with my supervisor and arranging to use my TOIL (time off in lieu) on Christmas Eve helped quite a lot. Now I have five days off to look forward to!

Image from Google

The Christmas Tag 2015

1. What are your favourite thing about this time of year?

Scented candles
Blankets
Festive flavoured coffee

2. What's your favourite festive drink?

Costa's toffee nut latte
A cinnamon latte
A snowball cocktail

3. What are your favourite Christmas songs?

Do They Know It's Christmas, Band Aid
Merry Christmas Everyone, Shakin Stevens

4. What is your favourite Christmas movie

Miracle on 34th Street. Love to watch this on Christmas Eve or the weekend before Christmas with my family accompanied by some festive nibbles. Unfortunately, some family members are voting for a different film this year.

5. What are your favourite Christmas dishes?

Christmas Turkey dinner
My Dad's homemade yule log

6. Giving or receiving gifts?

Both. I love hitting the bustling streets in the run up to Christmas, to see the decorations and browse the shelves for those perfect presents. I like giving at Christmas but I don't like to give for the sake of it, I like to give meaningful, thoughtful gifts.

I also like receive thoughtful gifts from friends and family, definitely, thoughtful over expensive. Gifts I often receive are little things that others know that I wouldn't buy for myself, a few little treats for myself.

7. What does Christmas mean to you?

I really like the term Christmas Spirit. To me is means spending time with friends and family as well as thinking of and giving to those less fortunate than myself. I like to treat my family with gifts and others through charitable work.

8. When was your most meaningful Christmas?

When my family put Christmas on hold for a day two years running so I could work on Christmas Day and then celebrate Christmas as a family on Boxing Day.

9. What are your Christmas traditions?

I shared my Christmas traditions in my previous post if you want to take another look

10. What are your New Years resolutions?

To tick some things off my 30 Before 30 list here

 

Images from Pinterest

Please share your answers, I would love to hear about your Christmases

A Weeked with Friends

Saturday

Quite often when my friends and I meet up either food or coffee are involved. On the Saturday, a few weeks ago now, I drove to Lakeside with some friends to go bridesmaid shopping. I was truly excited when I received a message and photograph, whilst I was away on my road trip earlier this year, telling me that she was engaged! I felt honoured when I returned home, around two weeks later, to find a hand written envelope waiting for me, inside was a simple, yet beautiful gift and a special question.

We had an appointment at a bridal shop to start the day and to hopefully find some inspiration. My friend and I had had a sneaky peak at some dresses a few weeks before when I had gone with her to try on some wedding dresses. The previous bridal shop we visited had a whole floor dedicated to bridesmaid dresses. The shop we visited in Lakeside had far fewer to browse through. Having said that, we managed to find a few to try on. When we had looked before I got the idea that we may get short dresses, however, on this occasion the longer dresses were a lot nicer and there was slightly more choice so we ended up dragging a few through to the dressing room. We found one dress that we each tried on and all liked the way that it looked (once the helpful assistant had pinned it anyway). I haven't had a good reason to wear a pretty dress since my high school prom nine years ago.

Then it was time for food! I didn't realise there was a restaurant on a boat at Lakeside, last time I visited I went for the standard Nandos. I love something a little different though so was pleased the decision was made to go aboard. A bottle of Prosecco was ordered to share and add a little sparkle to the afternoon. The restaurant is a Miller & Carter and was dark and sleek inside. There is a very reasonably priced lunch menu that is even served on a Saturday which I was surprised by. I was tempted by the burger, but typically I go for a burger, so thought I would try something a little different. As the restaurant is a steakhouse, I decided I would order steak in a toasted onion ciabatta served with seasoned fries. The meal was finished off nicely with a sweet caramel apple crumble tart. A continued wander around the shops was welcomed after the large lunch.

Sunday

My friend picked me up from mine about 11am and we drove to Norwich to meet our friend who moved their with her other half last year. A journey that should only take an hour took more like two thanks to road works so we were definitely ready to go into the city centre and eat when we finally arrived. We ended up going to Bill's. As soon as we walked through the door I loved it! The décor is rustic and quirky. There is exposed plaster, brick, metal and wood.

Image from Pinterest

We all ended up ordering the same, Bill's pink lemonade and burger with various toppings followed by cinnamon doughnuts. I enjoyed the food as much as my surroundings and the atmosphere. After our long lunch, we did a little shopping before heading home.

 

Have you eaten anywhere you really liked recently?

Making The Effort: Promises to Myself

This week has been a tough one. Usually making the effort to maintain relationships with family and friends is something I am quite good at. Making the effort to do things that will enhance my wellbeing is an area of weakness. The impact of this has been very clear this week. I have felt tired and run down and have had  sore throat and head cold that has not only made me feel pretty rubbish and sorry for myself it has also had an impact on my enthusiasm and communication with my friends. I have sometimes left messages unanswered for days and have retreated into myself. I feel that I have allowed myself to slip into a viscous cycle of being unhealthy, feeling lethargic and needing to rest. I then don't feel as though I have the energy to do the healthy things that will help me to feel better.

Image from Pinterest

Lets start small. I do not think that I can change how much time I spend at work, as things need to get done. I did make myself a promise when I started that if I needed to work late, it would only be on a certain day so that it was contained. This has not happened, often I find I am still at my desk at 6pm, sometimes I will get home and think 'oh I'll just write and send that email', or 'I'll just write up that visit'.

Promise 1: to leave work on time at 5.30 between 3-4 times a week

Sometimes I get home and feel the need to reflect on the day or a visit. I often use my reflective log as a therapeutic tool, to write down and sort through my worries. It can also aid my development by thinking about how I could do differently in the future and how I could move forward with an issue. This I feel is a positive use of my time, although preferably there would be enough time to do this at the end of my work day before arriving home.

Sometimes my reflective log helps but I still can't completely switch off from work, thinking about things I haven't managed to complete that day and my ever expanding to do list for the next day.

Promise 2: to listen to a short mindfulness meditation video as soon as possible after arriving home or after some reflection and be grateful (write a gratitude list)

Healthy eating and nutrition is another area where I lack considerably. Again, I started to do a regular weekly food shop and planned my meals for the week, meat, veg and pasta. This was not only for my evening meals but my packed lunches as well. The main reason why I slip up with my food shopping and meal preparation is due to leaving work late and wanting time to relax instead of doing chores.

Promise 3: take daily multi-vitamins, do a weekly meal plan and food shop

Using my time effectively is important when there isn't much of it spare. During the 30 minutes or so that my dinner is cooking I can study; read articles or books that relating to my job or listen to inspiring and informative podcasts or TED talks. I could also use this time to exercise, I have a cross trainer residing in my spare bedroom, a dusty workout dvd or a wide range of videos I can access through YouTube. I have no good excuses not to do something.

Promise 4: to use my time wisely; read, listen, exercise

Promise 5: do something fun once in a while

One a day to day basis I enjoy some time to slob on the sofa and watch crime dramas having cuddles with my two cats and reading before bed. In recent weeks a friend and I have also been trying our very best to get to a local Zumba class on a Tuesday evening (if work permits). Sometimes I actually enjoy the class more if we have missed a week because I generally forget how much fun a class can be. The music is often upbeat and energetic and going with a friend allows me to feel comfortable to let go and have some fun.

While browsing Pinterest for some images to accompany this post I came across a self care 30 day challenge. I love this idea and am going to incorporate some of the ideas suggested alongside my own promises for 30 days and see how I feel at the end of it. The hashtag associated with the challenge is #loveyourself

How do you practice self care and self love?
If you want to join me or have taken part in the 30 day challenge before I would really like to know how you found it

A Birthday Treat: Afternoon Tea in Aldeburgh

I spent this afternoon with two of my closest friends celebrating my birthday. My birthday isn't for another week but due to my friends shift patterns this was closest date we could find. We arranged to meet in Aldeburgh at 1pm in the car park near the Scallop sculpture.

Image from Google

We were really lucky with the weather, the sun was out and I felt it was warm enough to wear jeans and a floral shirt. We arranged to meet an hour and a half before our afternoon tea was booked to have time to wander around. We walked along the promenade to the other side of the town, the beach is scattered with wooden huts selling freshly caught fish and boats. The beach was also populated with individuals savouring the popular fish and chips.

On our way back towards the White Lion, where we were to sit and enjoy our afternoon tea, we chose to walk through the town and do a little window shopping. Aldeburgh has a mix of branded and independent shops, cafes and restaurants and the cutest buildings! It's a place that I would love to go back to and take lots of photos.

When we arrived at the White Lion, we were greeted at the door and asked whether we would prefer to sit on the sofas or in the main restaurant. We initially chose the sofas but soon realised that they would not be very easy to eat at. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and allowed us to change our minds and find a new place to sit. We were served tea and coffee a short while before the food. After the drinks were poured it was time to open presents. I really value the gifts I receive from friends and family, especially the thought that has gone into what they choose. This year was no different.

And then the food was served...

Photo borrowed from C

The sandwich fillings included; tuna, egg, cheese and pickle and ham. They could be described as simple fillings but that's fine by me and I like them all.

The sweet treats included; fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, chocolate and nut brownies, cookies, meringue and rose flavoured marshmallows.

It was a lovely afternoon catching up with my friends, eating good food and drinking too much tea and coffee. We all left feeling very full! The short walk back to the car was needed before we all headed home

Some Weekend Space

There have been times during the last two years where I have felt pulled along by the current of life and unable to pause to catch my breath. The last three weeks has been one of those times. Since starting my new job my days have been about trying to get through as much of my 'to do' list as possible whether that is work related or things at home like the washing, preparing meals and food shopping. Trying to squeeze in exercise and me time has been difficult. Having some time to relax and do something that I want to do is really important to me and important in keeping my moods balanced. This is why I try and press pause at the weekend, even if I am only able to do it for a short while around preparing for the new week ahead. My last few weekends have been really great in giving me some time and space in between one week and the next.

About three weeks ago now I went to see Tom Odell. I struggled to summon feelings of excitement when my friend picked me up and during the journey to the venue because I was so tired, I was almost asleep. I had seen Tom Odell once before at V Festival a few years ago and loved his set so I really wanted to see him again when I heard about the gig, the second thing that drew me in was the venue. I have never heard live music in a forest before and thought it could be amazing. My feelings of excitement bubbled to the surface as soon as I stepped foot in the venue, past security checking our tickets and bags and seeing the open space and the stage. It was the same feeling I get when I arrive at festivals and I felt a little sad that I did not go to the Isle of Wight Festival this year. The main reason for not going to IoW this year was simply because I wasn't very interested in the line up. The first time I went was two years ago primarily to see Bastille and last year it was for Biffy Clyro who were amazing! It was also an awesome line up last year and I got to see Passenger, Kings of Leon and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers as well as many others. I love the atmosphere at the IoW Festival, there are lots of different genres of music in a variety of different tents and it welcomes people of all ages. One of my favourite things to do is to see live music, I particularly enjoy it when I feel a connection to the music, when it excites me and often when I know the words and can sing along.

Anyway, back to the Tom Odell gig. I loved the venue and the support acts, The Beach and Rae Morris. I think what I loved about the venue was the atmosphere, it was chilled and laid back, perfect for a Sunday evening. The acts and the music that was played could have also contributed to this. We chose to sit a little way from the stage and relax rather than getting pushed and shoved nearer the front, I just didn't feel it was that kind of gig, I was just happy to listen in my own space. Some songs were very simplistic, Tom Odell and his piano, beautiful. It was a lovely evening, a bit chillier than the rest of the week but luckily no heavy rain just a few spots which was a pleasant surprise as it had been quite wet in the morning so I went prepared with my wellies!

Last weekend I spent most of last weekend with my Grandad while my parents were away. This is a great excuse to crash out in front of the tv and eat rubbish food. It allowed me to take a break from the list of things I felt I should be doing and gave me some time to rest. On the Sunday I went to see Magic Mike with a friend and got my Channing Tatum fix, he is just gorgeous. Afterwards we met up with another friend for dinner. These are two of my closest friends and we all have quite busy lives at the moment so finding time to get together is often difficult. It is so nice when we can get together and have a good catch up, usually with us there is food and sometimes cocktails involved. 

This weekend has been a productive one. After about a year, I finally got around to re-painting my kitchen. Last year I had a water leak which caused damage to my ceiling, luckily the ceiling got fixed but I was left with a patch that had been plastered. Me being me, was too lazy to re-paint, until now. I left work Friday afternoon motivated, I stopped off at B&Q on my way home about bought the paint, I washed down the walls and done the first coat of paint over the plaster before going to bed. This meant that all I had to do Saturday was one coat of white on the whole ceiling and two coats of Mint Crisp on the walls. I was pleased to finish Saturday so that I felt I had some free time before beginning a new week. I'm really happy that I was free today because I ended up going out for the afternoon with my parents and Grandad. We spent a few hours walking along the beach in Great Yarmouth, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather as well as freshly made doughnuts before stopping in Beccles on the way home and eating a picnic by the river as the sun began to set. Perfect.