July Favourites

So I thought I'd start doing a favourites post each month, but seeing as it was my birthday last month the first one could be quite lengthy so I apologise in advance.

Eat Play Live Journal
I bought this food journal at my second Slimming World meeting and it's been such an essential tool in helping me to lose 11.5lb in four weeks. By writing down my Speed and Free Foods, Healthy Extras and Syns down each day, I can keep myself on track. It doesn't stop me from eating anything I really fancy. In fact just the other day I realised I'd only had 0.5 syns the previous day so I was able to treat myself.

Helix Piercing
Last year I got my nose pierced, then I got a second set on my lobes and earlier this year I got my tragus pierced. I've also wanted my helix done for ages so I dropped in to Kent Tattoos on the way to Hertfordshire for a weekend away and got it done. I absolutely love it!

Happy Mail
I took part in the June/July Happy Mail swap and this month not only did I receive my Happy Mail, but I also received a return Happy Mail from the person I sent to and it arrived on my birthday. I also won this gorgeous Paper Panda print in the Happy Mail Bazaar this month which will go on my Happy Wall once my room has been decorated.

Sass & Belle
I got some money from my aunt and uncle for my birthday so while I was in London I popped into Sass & Belle and picked up a few bits. I saw this heart-shaped umbrella on the website and fell in love with it. It's huge and I can't wait for a good downpour so I can try it out. I also found this trinket dish and chalkboard which will look great in my room once it's been decorated.

Homemade Birthday Goodies
My gorgeous friend Katy (you can read her blog here and watch her vlogs here) asked her sister-in-law to make these especially for me for my birthday. She's an absolute diamond because not only do they have owls on, but the heart is filled with lavender. It hangs on my best post to help me drift off to sleep peacefully.

Cath Kidston Haul
If you know me in real life you will know that I love all things pink and polka dotty which it why I was like a kid at Christmas when they released this pattern. You may think I've gone a bit crazy and bought the whole range, but there was so much more that I could have got. I wouldn't use it thought so there was no point. I have several Cath Kidston bags and they have all lasted so well that I don't begrudge paying the prices. This is my first rucksack from them though and what I love about it is the grab handles at the top and the separate padded laptop section at the back.

Clothes
I love, love, love long skirts and this one from Asda is so comfortable and versatile. I also got a couple of bits to take on holiday next week. This top is a bit different to what I would usually wear, but it'll be great to wear around the pool or out for a meal. I also got some black shorts. You can't go wrong with black and I can use them after the holiday too.

Younique Haul
I got so much make-up for my birthday which makes me incredibly happy as I've recently started wearing it again. My friend Louise is a Younique presenter and she got me a few bits, but so did my friend Emmi who had a Younique party a few weeks back. I'll have to go on YouTUbe now and watch all the make-up tutorials because I'm rubbish.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The 31st of July is not only the last day of the month. It is also J. K. Rowling's and Harry Potter's birthdays and will also now be remembered as the day that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released. Being a script instead of a novel I read it in a matter of hours. In my opinion it wasn't as good as the originals, but it took me back to that magical world I love so much and I couldn't help but imagine how the magic would be created on stage. I really want to go and see it now.

So that's my favourites for July. I hope you have enjoyed them. Please believe me when I say that there won't be as many next month!

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Quick-Fire Questions

I thought I'd do this quick quiz for anyone who would like to get to know me a bit better. If you have any other questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Sweet or savoury?
Savoury... I think...

Run or cycle?
Walk

Staycation or vacation?
Vacation, but I'd like to visit more of the UK in the future.

Rain or sun?
I'm one of those weirdos that actually likes the rain. I find it really comforting to watch and I love the sound of it.

Summer or winter?
Winter. I don't care if I should like summer because I was a summer baby. Winter!

Early bird or night owl?
Early to bed, early to rise.

Glass half full or half empty?
If you only filled it half way then it's half full. If you filled it up and drank some then it's half empty. The point is it's refillable.

Chocolate or vanilla?
If we're talking ice cream then vanilla.

Books or movies?
I CAN'T CHOOSE!!

PC or Mac?
Mac

Ketchup or mayonnaise?
Ketchup. Mayonnaise is the work of the devil.

Tattoos or piercings?

Cats or dogs?
Dogs

Bourbons or custard creams?
BOURBONS! The great bourbon shortage of 2016 was nearly the end of me.

Marvel or DC?
Marvel

Saver or spender?
Spender, but I save much better than I used to.

Silver or gold?
Silver

Christmas or Halloween?
Well I wish it could be Christmas everyday, when the kids start singing and the band begins to play...

Harry Potter or Twilight?
I am a Slytherin and I won't hesitate in hexing you if you ask such a ridiculous question again!

Dancing or singing?
Singing. Usually in my car. Could give Christina Aguilera a run for her money let me tell you!

Hugs or kisses?
Hugs heal anything.

Sausage or bacon?
Sausage, but bacon is syn-free.

Scrambled or fried?
Scrambled

Bond or Bourne?
Bourne #sorrynotsorry

Money or fame?
Money

Sunrise or sunset?
I prefer to be asleep for both, but probably sunrise. New day, new start sort of thing.

Multiple choice questions or essay questions?
Multiple choice as long as the answer I want is there. And by that I mean magazine quizzes that try to work out your personality, but don't have an answer that you would pick.

Long hair or short hair?
On me, long. On guys, short. Unless it's Thor. He can wear his hair however the hell he likes.

Facial hair or clean shaven?
Don't mind either, but not a beard like Dumbledore because that would just be weird.

Smoking or non-smoking?
Non-smoking

Paying a mortgage or paying rent?
I would prefer to pay a mortgage, but I'm living with my mum so have a very good deal on rent.

Shower in the morning or in the evening?
Morning otherwise I'd be walking round like a zombie.

Call or text?
Text. Calling people sets my anxiety into overdrive.

Glasses or contacts?
Glasses, but contacts for special occasions/when I can afford them. 

Pen or pencil?
Pen

Washing dishes or doing laundry?
Dishes. Every. Single. Time!

Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Wars. Just. I like the new Star Treks.

Dark chocolate or white chocolate?
Both with milk chocolate in a bar of Milka Triolade.

Cake or pie?
Cake

Chinese or Italian?
Italian = Pizza

Smile or game face?
Resting bewildered face

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A Letter to my Sixteen-Year-Old Self

Dear Tracy,

I thought I'd drop you a (probably not so) quick note to wish you a very happy 16th birthday on what is, confusingly yet aptly, your 32nd birthday. I know you are extremely excited about your joint party with Sarah which is happening on Saturday. You’ve got a gorgeous red dress that you feel really grown up in and you’ve had a fringe cut in. It’s already annoying you because it keeps parting and you’re worried it will look silly on the night. Quick tip: Next time you decide you want a fringe (and there will be a next time) get the hairdresser to make it heavier and it won’t do it so much.

The party is going to be amazing! There will be lots of Five and S Club 7 played and that boy you like who sits at the back of the bus actually said he’d try and come when you invited him, but don’t get too excited because you’re only 16 and there’s a whole wealth of guys out there for you to crush on. You'll get lots and lots of wonderful presents which you are extremely grateful for, but the one that still sticks in your head will be the bag of Millie's Cookies that Rachel brings from work. It will pass by in a blur so take lots of photos.

It’s been a pretty shitty year for you so far, but in time you will see that what you thought was the worst moment of your life was actually the best. Well that exact moment wasn’t, but the outcome was. From just having a family on your mum’s side, a whole new family has been presented to you. A dad who has always been there can now share with you another mum, two brothers, a cousin who you will soon see as a sister, three grandparents and a whole bunch of extended family that you love to pieces.

Ironically I’m sitting here a lifetime (for you) later experiencing what is turning out to be a difficult year. Don’t get me wrong, there have been truly horrible moments between your time and mine, but this year is really knocking me for six. I’m getting there slowly, but surely. Knowing you got through everything that 2000 threw at you is one of the things that makes me sure I will get through 2016. Thank you for showing me just how strong we are capable of being.

Just as an aside, when everything came out you said that you were happy as you might get the chance to be an auntie one day. Well, spoiler alert, but you become an auntie to, not one, but four gorgeous pickles. They are all unique in their own way and you are so proud of each and every one of them.

But that’s enough about a future that seems so far away to you right now. You’ve completed your GCSEs and you’ve done your work experience at your old primary school. It’s time to enjoy a relaxing summer before going back to school to do your A-levels. Yes, you’re going back to Wilmington. You will strengthen existing friendships as well as make new ones that I still have and cherish now. The whole applying to university thing won’t go entirely to plan, but it definitely works out for the best. You’ll see why…

Around the time you go back to school, the head of sixth form will make you find a volunteering role to take on so you contact your old Guide Leader Mandi to see if you can return to your unit as a Young Leader and of course she welcomes you back. You have some many amazing experiences coming your way and it’s all down to guiding. There’s too much to go into here, but it’s safe to say that it becomes a huge part of your life. In fact I’d say it becomes a way of life. I truly believe that guiding and university are responsible for who we’ve become.

Never stop being you. One of the things I love about you is how you are totally happy to be yourself and enjoy the things that you enjoy without being bothered about what others think. For example in my time you have an unwavering love for both Harry Potter and McFly. Your family and friends may lovingly mock you, but you never falter in your dedication to them. They bring joy to your life and that’s all that’s important to you. Just as it should be.

Another thing that I love about you is that you’re not afraid to admit when you’re wrong. When the whole Harry Potter hype took off, you didn’t understand why everyone was so fascinated with a bunch of children’s books. In fact you point blank refused to read them. I can’t remember what made you change your mind and buy that copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but after reading it in just one day, you were hooked.

Similarly when McFly started up you thought they were just Busted wannabes and weren’t interested. Then you saw the music video to ‘Room on the Third Floor’ and thought it was really clever and gave them a chance. It was once you heard ‘All About You’ though that they found a place in your heart forever.

The same goes for people. Everyone has first impressions of someone and you feel perfectly comfortable in being able to say, “Do you know what? I got you completely wrong when we first met. I’m sorry. Can we start over?” Don’t instantly dismiss your gut instinct though. It’s pretty accurate and, more often than not, serves you very well.

And try not to be so hard on yourself. You are an amazing person. You have come through so much. You will go through so much more and come out the other side of it. You will make plans that will never happen and that’s OK. Who knows what the future will hold for us, but I can’t wait to find out.

I love you awesome nerd!

Tracy (aged 32)

P.S. Just to warn you, you're going to have a huge crush on someone on at university. You are going to find the courage to actually go and talk to him when you see him at the union. It will transpire that you are talking to his twin. FAIL!

P.P.S. Cut back on the chocolate and pizza. It’ll come back to haunt you as you approach 30!

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Barefoot Coaching Cards for Every Day: A Review

Usually when the latest issue of Pyschologies magazine falls on the door mat, I'll have a quick flick through and in all honesty never get round to reading it properly. When the August edition arrived I actually decided to snuggle up on the sofa and read it from cover to cover and I am so glad I did because towards the end I saw a page announcing that Kim Morgan's Coaching Cards for Every Day would be launching on the 1st July.

As a Trainer for Girlguiding I am always looking for new resources that I can use in my sessions so I was excited to see that a limited amount were being given away on a first-come, first-served basis. Not one to pass up the opportunity of a freebie, I applied immediately. 

They landed on my door mat on Friday morning in between a trip to the hairdressers and going to get my eyebrows waxed ready for my friends' wedding so I wouldn't even let myself have a sneaky peek at them. Instead I put them in my suitcase to take to the hotel so that I could peruse them at my leisure that evening while the pampering continued.

I know they say that you should never judge a book by its cover, but as it is usually the first thing that draws our attention to a product I would like to address it. The deck is presented in a simple aqua box which is enough to protect it and keep all the cards together. I actually found the colour of the box very soothing and it includes a couple of examples of the types of questions you find inside.

The pack consists of 50 cards, each posing a question or suggesting a task. They can be used by individuals or with others as a way of starting meaningful conversations. The cards themselves are extremely good quality and will last for years to come making them a great coaching companion.

Within a training environment I would be most likely to use these during an icebreaker activity, but depending on the topic of the training it would also be feasible to select certain cards and spend more time on them. 

Personally I can see myself using these in a variety of different ways. I have several sets of cards (a mixture of affirmations, oracle and tarot) and often I will choose a deck and pick a card to focus on for that day. This deck will definitely be added to those. I also hope to use these along side my cognitive behavioural therapy as I learn more about it and complete my exercises. 

Sitting here looking at them I am also reminded of the discussions that we used to have over family meals. While not all of the cards would be suitable there are definitely some that could stimulate interesting conversation and maybe even help you get to know members of your family better. The cards would also work well as journalling or blogging prompts for the writers out there or just someone who is trying to write more. 

Coaching Cards for Every Day are so versatile and I will definitely be getting a second set so that I can keep one on my bookshelf and one in my training box. 

Find out more about Barefoot Coaching:
Website: http://www.barefootcoachingcards.co.uk/
Twitter: @BarefootCoaches

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From Barcelona With Love (AKA Tales from my Holibobs: Part Two)

This morning Facebook informed me that today is the first day of summer and although the sun has put in an appear over the last hour or so, today has mainly been dark and gloomy and rainy. I'm not going to moan as it means I got to go for a walk with my gorgeous daisy umbrella and if you give it a couple more weeks they'll probably be announcing a hosepipe ban anyway!

With 53 days to go until my next holiday I realised I am probably better off cherishing the sunnier moments from my holiday back in May and I thought I'd share them with you today. (Better late than never seems to be my most used line, but it's true.) Back in April I wrote about how Barcelona became one of my favourite places to visit and on Monday 9 May I boarded a plane from Gatwick to go back there for the fifth time. 

When I booked the holiday towards the end of last year I was so excited, but in the run up to it I have to admit I was feeling less than enthusiastic. I was feeling a little down about my lack of gusto for the trip and wondered whether I should have just cancelled it when I moved back home with Mum. The fact that thunderstorms were forecast for most of the week probably didn't help either.

Despite the forecast apparently being true as we landed in torrential rain, my mood lifted as we walked out of Barcelona-El Prat and made our way to the bus stop. That tingling anticipation of being in my favourite place in the world had returned.

Later I spoke to Mum about how I had been feeling and we decided that we had probably both been concentrating so much on getting through the Isle of Wight and saying goodbye to Nan and Granddad that we hadn't given ourselves the chance to actually look forward to going to Barcelona. Now we were here, we were determined to make the most of it, whatever the weather!

In a change from my usual choice of hotel when staying in Barcelona, we treated ourselves to one that is right on La Rambla and just a minute's walk from Plaça de Catalunya. I am always nervous about speaking Spanish as I know I'm not very good, but the gentleman on reception was so happy and encouraging that I enjoyed practising with him. As our flight landed early evening, we were quite hungry by the time we got to the hotel. 

We decided to have dinner at my favourite place to eat in the city - Flaherty's Irish Pub. Most people see it as a cop out to go to an Irish pub while in Spain, but it is right opposite the university I went to while on placement and I have very fond (though sometimes hazy) memories as I went there most days be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a drink between lectures, cocktails or just to watch the football (yes, I used to enjoy watching football).

On Tuesday morning we walked the short way to Plaça de Catalunya and enjoyed a spot of people watching over breakfast. We then went to the bus stop and bought a two-day pass for the Barcelona Bus Turístic. I swear I have used this every time I've gone to Barcelona. There are three different routes that take you around the main tourist hotspots. I love it because you can hop on and off as many times as you want and you can get to see the city instead of sitting on the Metro. It's worth every penny, particularly as it comes with a discount booklet for lots of different tourist attractions and fast food outlets.

The destination for the first full day of our holiday was Mount Tibidabo. It's something that I had never done on any of my previous visits so I was quite excited. We took the Funicular del Tibidabo up to the summit on what was looking to be a glorious day. Once you get up to the summit there isn't actually much up there apart from the Amusement Park, the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor and a pretty awesome view of the city. I'd also heard about a geocache in amongst all the love locks that can be found at one of the viewpoints, but we weren't able to find it. 

Once we had taken lots of photos we took the funicular back down the mountain and then strolled down to the bus stop so we could get the bus back to La Rambla. We had lunch at a lovely little pizzeria and decided that we'd go back to the hotel for a rest before going back out. Shortly after we got to our room we heard the rain start to fall. It rained and rained and rained. That evening we ended up dashing to the supermarket for some snacks and went back to our room via the ice cream parlour and watched NCIS dubbed in either Spanish or Italian.

Wednesday was the last day that we had our bus ticket so we decided to make the most of it. Mum was sure that she hadn't been to Montjuïc so we decided to go while the weather was good in case it took a turn for the worse again. We took the funicular up the hill using the discount from our tourist bus booklet, but the walk up the hill is also very pleasant. Once we were up there we had a leisurely stroll around the castle ruins. In the past I've run around the city like a loon trying to fit everything in as I've usually gone with someone who hasn't been before. This time it was wonderful to just enjoy being in a place that I love and not having to rush.

Once we'd had enough of walking we got the bus to Port Olímpic and had lunch at another one of my favourite places to eat - Crêperie Bretonne Annaíck. Apart from the fact that I love a crepe, savoury or sweet, the kitchen is a silver double decker bus. I love it!

After lunch we took yet another stroll along the beach. Despite the weather the previous two days it was actually quite warm and if we'd thought about putting our swimsuits on under our clothes, we could have had a little dip. As it was we just enjoyed the feel of the sun on our face as we walked back to La Rambla.

Thursday was our last full day in the city and we decided to just have a shopping day so we wandered mainly around the Barri Gòtic. It was another beautiful day apart from one quick shower. We ended our holiday with another meal at the Irish Pub mainly because we wanted to celebrate the holiday with a few cocktails. I'm sure by the time you're in your 30s its OK to be a bit tipsy in the presence of your mum, especially when she is too, right...?

I had a lovely weekend away and it was just what I needed. I can't wait to go back to Barcelona, hopefully in the not too distant future and go full on tourist again. Until then, goodbye you crazy, beautiful city.

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DofE Diamond Challenge Update

Back in February I wrote a post about the DofE Diamond Challenge which you can read here. I thought I'd give you all a little update particularly since I made the decision a while back to change my personal challenge. 

Last summer I got a Fitbit Charge for my birthday which really pushed me to walk the three miles to work every day so that I could reach my 10,000 step goal. As the weeks went on I started walking longer routes to work and starting doing walks on Sunday mornings as well as parkrun (or parkwalk as Mum and I like to call it) on a Saturday morning. By September I was feeling so much fitter and I really enjoyed the time I had to myself listening to music or audio books or just time to clear my head ready for the day ahead.

At the end of September that all changed when I got a new job in Tonbridge and had to start driving to work. My weekly average went down from around 85,000 steps to just 35,000 (to be honest that's probably being generous) and as the weather got worse I even stopped doing my weekend walks. I used the dark mornings and bad weather as my excuse and my motivation just dissipated.

I decided to change my challenge back in April when I was planning our holiday to Barcelona. I knew that our trip would be an excellent opportunity for lots of walking and with spring well and truly in the air I really wanted to start walking regularly again. I am awake early most morning anyway so since the beginning of May I have been getting to work between an hour and a half and two hours early and just going for a walk before work. 

I've really enjoyed getting to know the area where I work and will hopefully one day live. I love just looking on Google Maps and deciding where I am going to go the next day. I've found several routes now that I like to rotate so that I don't get bored and most of them can be made slightly shorter or longer and I use mapmywalk to record the distance and time it takes to complete the route so that I have something to refer to. 

It has also helped me to start regaining the fitness that I had worked so hard to build up last summer. This leads me on to my challenge. It is recommended that everyone walks 10,000 steps a day and while I do try to do this, there are obviously some days where I just want to have a duvet day and watch Harry Potter until my mum begs me to put something else on. 

So I decided that my personal challenge would be to walk 600,000 steps over 60 consecutive days. While that does work out at 10,000 steps a day I didn't want to commit to that in case the weather was absolutely atrocious or I had an injury or something. However I am pleased to so that today is day 43 of 60 and not only have I managed to walk at least 10,000 steps every day, but I am also 100,000 up on my target so far.

Once the challenge is over I am determined to keep walking regularly and hopefully by autumn I can find a few exercises classes near me to keep me going until the weather is dry enough to walk again.

Just a reminder that you can donate to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award using the JustGiving link to the right or text TGDC60 followed by the amount you would like to donate (£1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10) to 70070. If you want to create your own personal challenge and raise money for this fantastic cause you can do so here.

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Saying Goodbye (AKA Tales from my Holibobs: Part One)

I am so overdue in doing this seeing as it's now a whole month since I got back from my holidays, but better later than never as they say. I've had a weird week and my next holiday seems so far away still so I thought instead I would reminisce about my last one. Let me take you back to Friday 6th May when me, my mum, my uncle and my cousins descended upon Portsmouth & Southsea...

The reason for our visit was perhaps not the most joyous of occasions as we had planned a day trip to the Isle of Wight to scatter the ashes of my nan and granddad. Despite the reason for our visit I was excited to see upon our arrival that the hotel was right on the seafront and next to the amusements and funfair. The air was full of the smell of fish & chips and fresh, hot donuts. We, OK, I had an early night ready for the next morning when we had a lovely walk along the seafront to the ferry. I even found a sign at Gunwharf Quays that made the Potterhead in me leap for joy. Of course, I had to take a photo.

The ferry trip was quick and calm and once we got to Ryde we found a lovely cafe to have some breakfast before walking back to the pier to get a bus to Ventnor. We always used to go there for our holidays during May Half Term and then when I left school, they started to go in September instead. I have very fond memories of those holidays. My best friend from school Sarah used to come with us and my granddad always used to give us a pound's worth of two-pence pieces to use at the amusements. I had planned to change a pound up for old time's sake so imagine my disappointment as we walked along the Esplanade and saw that they were all boarded up. Sorry Granddad, maybe next time.

We stopped at The Spyglass Inn for a quick drink before making our way to their final resting place. It was one of the pubs which my granddad would frequent. He'd start off at one end of the Esplanade and work his way down to the other where we'd often find him sitting on the bench chatting to anyone and everyone who passed him.

Once we were all refreshed from the heat (the weather was beautiful as promised) we walked up the path where my mum used to walk our dog Ben and found a quiet spot. The ongoing joke of the weekend had been to check the wind direction before setting them free and luckily it was working in our favour. Once it was done we all had a quiet moment with our thoughts before heading back into town. While I have no doubt in my mind that my nan and granddad loved each other, they argued like crazy. It made me chuckle to think that if you listened very closely to the wind, you might just be able to hear the sound of them bickering.

The rest of the day was spent visiting some of our favourite places on the island. The morning had gone much quicker than we expected so in the end we only had time to visit Godshill and Shanklin (with an ice cream at the latter), but it was lovely to revisit them after 13 or so years. I am sure my cousins would have liked longer there as they had never been before. 

We made our way back to Ryde and got the ferry back to the mainland where we enjoyed a scrummy family meal together. For me the best thing about the weekend was all of us being together for the amount of time we were. Even if my mum and I have a weekend up in Norfolk we might only see my cousins of an hour or two here and there so I cherished every moment.

After dinner the kids went to explore the amusements and Mum and I went to try and find a geocache aptly named 'Never Forgotten'. Unfortunately we're couldn't find it, but on the way back to the hotel we did find another. (We also attempted to find one in the other direction on Sunday morning, but the less said about that the better.) The sea air led me to another peaceful night's sleep and only one day left before my proper holiday.

To be continued...

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