Morning friends, I hope the day is going well
for you.
All is good here in East Sussex, it's been a
busy week getting everything done so I can go away at the weekend to Spring
Harvest at Butlins in Minehead for a fab week with my family and God will be
at the centre.
To link up next week and for all of April you'll
need to head over to see Becky at Lakes Single Mum as she is the April host and
I'll be back again in May. Well I'm sure I'll be around before then, you can't
keep me away from sharing my cheer!
So what has made me cheerful this week? Loads,
here are a few snippets -
Last weekend I had a fab time with my Mum staying at the Mercure Hotel in Kensington, London, we were only together 27 hours but it really was that cliche of 'quality' time.
We saw the musical Beautiful, the Carole King
story and it was awesome, definitely one to be recommended.
We had a great shop and Mum treated me to some
new clothes, tops, a cardie and a dress ready for my summer holiday in May. It
is such a long time since I've been properly shopping and things fitted, it
felt great.
I visited the Nourish Foodbank in Tunbridge Wells last Friday to see how some funding from Comic Relief had made a difference to them. It was such an inspiring visit and you can read about it over here if you fancy.
Last weekend to celebrate Mothers Day, my lovely Mum and I headed up to London for 24 hours together, just us, no kids and no real agenda. We've done it before and had an amazing time and we vowed this year that it will become an annual thing.
24 hours (or 27 to be precise) doesn't sound much but it is amazing what you can fit in. I met Mum at Waterloo and we headed straight over to Leicester Square to the official half-price theatre ticket booth to see if we could bag some good ticket for an evening performance. After success booking for Beautiful. the Carole King musical we enjoyed a toastie and coffee together watching the world go by in this busy part of London.
The rest of our Saturday was filled with checking into our hotel and having a relax there, some serious shopping on Kensington High Street, a fabulous dinner at Prezzo over on New Oxford Street and of course seeing the amazing West-end production of Beautiful. It really is an amazing show and both Mum and I highly recommend it.
Sunday was a much more chilled day where we got up late, enjoyed a full English breakfast at the hotel and then had a walk around Kensington with a little shopping and of course coffee before I dropped Mum back at Waterloo and headed back to my family.
Mercure, London Kensington
But enough about our time together this post is actually about our stay at the small and intimate Mercure Hotel in Kensington. This 82 bedroom hotel is situated on the Cromwell Road and that makes it super easy to access. It you are travelling by tube it is between Gloucester Road and Earls Court and then around a 7 minute walk from either but because you are in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea it is a really pleasant stroll as the buildings and area are so beautiful.
I can't recall a time when Miss E hasn't been pestering me for a glass of juice. Even at nearly 10 years of age it is her drink of choice. No fizzy pop for her, she just isn't interested but 100% pure unsweetened juice or maybe a homemade smoothie and she is as happy as Larry (whoever he is!).
She affectionately calls OJ her 'brain juice' and insists on having a glass of it at breakfast as one of her recommended 5-a-day. I've always been happy with this as combined with a bowl of porridge or weetabix and milk it is a healthy breakfast that helps her stay full and focused on learning until her break time at school.
Research (1) shows that only 8% of 11-18 year olds achieve their minimum 5-a-day consumption of fruit and vegetables, so a small glass (150ml) of pure juice is a nice easy way to fill one of those five slots and perfectly I've found that 150ml fits in the empty Nutella glass nicely and makes it easy for Miss E to be able to measure out her own drink in the morning.
L-R Lesley Darcy, Assistant Operations Manager. Dawn Stanford, Operations Manager
and Marianne MacDonald, Trustee
I've just spent the last few hours in a Big
Yellow Self Storage unit and do you know what? I had the best time, I haven't
laughed like I did in ages. This is no average storage unit, let me tell you.
This is the home of the Nourish Community Foodbank where I've spent the
morning in the company of three super passionate women who are each making a
difference in their community.
'Every tin is a hug' is the wisdom imparted in
me today from Marianne MacDonald, Trustee of the Nourish Community Foodbank. She
told me this is how she explains her voluntary work to her daughter and she
went on to say 'Nourish is so much more than just food, it is a helping hand, a
squeeze, a hug and a feeling there are complete strangers who care'. Marianne talked with passion about how making donations to a food bank such as Nourish
is conscious giving, people have made a choice to add extra shopping to their
basket or to open their cupboard and see what they can donate, it is so much
more involved than just putting loose change in a tin.
She is of course right and I see this first-hand
as I also volunteer in my local foodbank in Hastings. Nourish is like no other
food bank I've ever seen though, they operate from the Big Yellow Self Storage building and are gifted a 200 sq ft unit by them and have been for the last few years. Their
team of volunteers meet there each week to weigh, sort and pack the food and the
food parcels are then delivered straight to the door of the person in need,
removing any obstacles such as transport or ill health from stopping them
getting their much needed food, toiletries and personal items.
Clocking up some steps last weekend with all my family at National Trust, Petworth House
Morning friends,
How are you today? Well I hope. If you are a Mum
I wish you a very happy Mothers Day but remember it is just another day and if
it doesn't turn out as you hoped it doesn't mean that your kids love you any
less. There can be far too much pressure for perfection on days like this.
So on with the matter in hand - slimming! Or
perhaps in my case a lack of slimming, I'm really not sure, as for my sanity it
feels as if I'm better not stepping on the scales right now. As you know I
didn't make it to my Slimming World group last week and yesterday I was away in
London with my Mum (I still am) so I should have gone to the Tuesday afternoon
group but that would of meant running in getting weighed and running out before
the kids got home from their after school club and I found myself umming and
aching about whether I really need/want to go to a slimming group at the
moment. I'd have had to pay £10 for that quick weight in (two weeks fees) and I
felt as if I'd get nothing for it.
For sure, I know that I want and need to lose
weight but I think being accountable by this linky and through a Facebook group
I have with some slimming friends I actually get the support I need. I really
love the consultant at the Slimming World group I've been attending but all her
classes are so busy that you don't really get to have a conversation with her
and Saturday mornings just seem to fill up with kids activities and holidays. I
do really like the short talk that she does each week but it always seems to
start late as so many people arrive late to weigh in and then the image therapy
(or people sharing their tips / successes) doesn't really inspire me too much.
Maybe I've been around the Slimming circuit for too long and actually know most
of the tips, I just need to put them into action?
With Mothers day just a couple of days away wouldn't it be great to be able to give your Mum a really different present. Something she can enjoy for a very long time and not just a day like chocolates or a week like some flowers?
Well you can. The iFit Vue activity tracker would make an excellent gift and just think you'd be encouraging your Mum to move more and become healthier and ultimately that could mean she lives a longer and fuller life. Result, right?
But I'm not just recommending something that I haven't tried out as I don't believe in that. I like to be honest and tell it as it is when I'm writing about a product. So I have had my 13 year old son JJ on the case this week, setting up the iFit Vue and fully testing it out. What do you get in the box?
JJ took everything out the box and there is a tracker pod and charger, which you'll need to plug into a USB port to use. You also get two wristbands as standard. a S/M which fits from pretty small wrists (it s OK for my 9 year old girls) to an average woman's and a M/L which fits even my large husband, so there is a good variety of sizes. The clasp on the band is very simple to use and it can be put on and off easily.
How are you doing? I'm having a funny old week. there is nothing particularity wrong but I've had that horrible feeling that sometimes crops up. Do you know what I mean? Where you just feel something isn't right and is a bit off-kilter but you've no real idea what is causing the way you feel. No matter, I'm going to press through it and not give in to the doldrums.
This coming Sunday
This week's #R2BC post is all about celebrating Mothering Sunday. Firstly I am really looking forward to this weekend when I'm away in London with my Mum. Just the two of us for around 36 hours doing whatever we feel like doing. We are staying at the 4 star Mercure Kensington hotel and planning to hit the theatre, shops and at least a couple of good restaurants. To be truthful whatever we do will be fine by me as we always have a lovely time in each others company and this breakaway is long overdue.
The last time we had a weekend in London together was in 2014 as we planned one in 2015 but my Dad got taken to hospital and we had to cancel. Then in 2016, we had a weekend away with my girls to a Haven caravan park, which was nice but nothing beats time just the two of us in 'the big smoke' as my Mum would say!
Mum and I in 2014 when we had a Mothers Day away together in London
My readers will know that I pride myself on being organised and ahead of the game but it appears that when it comes to gifts for special days like Mothers Day I am in the minority. Tesco revealed that more than half a million (1) time-strapped Brits
will buy their Mother’s Day gift on the day itself, rushing to shopping aisles just over an hour
before midday, at 10.53am on Mothering Sunday.
It saddens me a little to think of all those people probably heading to their mother's house for a nice Sunday roast (that Mum has cooked) and this is when they stop to think about getting her some flowers or chocolates to say thanks for all she has done for them. Of course, those thanks shouldn't just be on Mothers Day and it is only right to show your mum that you appreciate her any time of the year but it is great to have a special day dedicated to mothers everywhere.
On Friday it was an inset day at JJ's secondary school. I'm not sure what most of his friends do when it's an inset day but I suspect there are very few of them that do what JJ does and say "Yes Mum! Can I come to food bank with you?".
This is probably the fourth or fifth time that JJ has chosen to spend his day off school with me serving at the Hastings food bank and what does he get out of it you might wonder? Well firstly, he gets to spend the day with his mum of course. Then I sometimes take him to the local Premier Inn for a buffet breakfast before we start work and he also gets the satisfaction of a good days work and having helped some people.
I wouldn't say that at 13 years JJ is particularly altruistic so I don't think his main reason for doing it is because he loves to help others but to be frank it doesn't really matter to me. The fact that he comes along willingly, spends around four hours there and mucks in and helps the whole time are enough. He'll be learning so much from these experiences and they are not skills he'd pick up in the classroom so I'm happy.
If you are on the Slimming World plan you'll know that it is all about the free food and syns. The average person can have between 5 - 15 syns a day but someone larger like me gets 20, although of course it is better to not have so many and then you can see great weight loss results.
I find that my real struggle time is the evening and as such, I always try to plan in a yummy treat for the evening and use my syns for it. I often don't want to use that many though as I need them throughout the day for things like my milk in tea, butter on my toast or ryvita, sauces, gravy or a little treat.
So here are 10 low syn treats that keep me motivated and wanting to lose weight but without feeling like I am missing out - 1. Quark and highlight with mini marshmallows (4 syns)
This is probably my favourite evening treat as it is sweet, creamy and filling. I use half a tub of fat-free quark and mix it with a highlight or Options chocolate powder sachet (1.5-2 syns it varies for which one you use, so check), it mixes really well and is like a chocolate cheesecake.
I also like to add 10g of mini marshmallows on the top for extra sweetness and indulgence. You can see you get around 30 mini marshmallows for the 10g (you get 25g for 4 syns, so I class these as 2 syns).
I also have a friend who likes to turn this into a cheesecake and she has a crushed light digestive biscuit (3 syns) at the bottom and instead of the marshmallows she has raspberries ad a drizzle of choc shot (1/2 for a level tsp). Add on the chocolate powder and that makes a 5.5 syn dessert.
2. Raspberry Jelly/ mouse (1/2 syn per dish)
With this one you make up some sugar free jelly (I used raspberry - 2 syns for whole packet, so all 4 desserts shown here), add in a pot of mullerlight (I used vanilla) and some fruit for speed and allow it to set. Bets eaten on the day it is made I find but it does take about 4 or 5 hours to set properly.
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It's Thursday, how are you, friends? I'm good this week. I still have a lingering cough from being poorly last week but in general, I'm feeling much better.
Here are a few of the things making me super cheerful this week -
I lost 4.5 lbs at my weigh-in last Saturday and I'm praying for another loss this Saturday
I've been listening to the God Centered Mom podcast for quite some time now and I just adore it. Heather has the most wonderful guests on her show and they have so much wisdom to share with me
I'm back doing a bit of voluntary work for my husband at the conference centre where we live and I had forgotten how much I enjoy working alongside the wonderful community there
The weather is cheering up and we are even seeing glimpses of the sun. This makes me so happy as I can start to get out and walk more
I really felt tuned in to what God was saying to me last week and as a result, I wrote a letter from God to all Mums. I was so blessed by how it was received and I had lots of comments, emails and messages from Mums who said it had spoken to the very heart of them and it has given me some great opportunities to pray for people and to hear from God
As I cleaned the church hall on Tuesday I had a deep moment of contentment and I realised that I am happy with my life and much of the time I feel content. For forty-odd years I have raced through life and done everything at 60mph speed but I am finally learning that it isn't a crime to slow down and enjoy the things I do, living in the moment. I totally see this as a sign of spiritual growth and realising I don't need to earn anyone's love, especially not God's and this is an important step in my recovery from compulsive overeating
I enjoyed watching the Good Karma Hospital tonight snuggled up on the sofa with my girls, one each side of me
Wow, what an eclectic mix there. I had no idea what I was going to write for my reasons, I just sat down and poured my heart out and this is where it led me this week! I realise if you are not a Christian there is a lot of God stuff there this week but to be honest, that is me and my life and if you can't be authentic on your own blog then where can you be?
After a long morning at church followed by a meeting we were all ready to head out for some fresh air and family time. My favourite sleepy seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea was the destination and the girls had chosen to take a scooter each. JJ hadn't and I think totally regretted it, he often forgets he is just 13 and not thirty, so he had to join my husband and I for a walk along the prom whilst the girls raced around and JJ bagged a scooter at intervals when the girls wanted to walk on the beach.
No winner was declared but they both had lots of fun and of course got in some great exercise. Even when it is overcast and a little rainy it is still important to get outdoors and enjoy family time.
Variety is the spice of life they say and certainly keeping my food interesting helps me to say on plan
Happy Sunday friends,
I hope you are well and enjoying the weekend. Thanks so much to all those who joined in with mine and Mrs Shilts first Slimming Sunday last week, it was great to read your posts and I look forward to seeing you again today. Although no pressure, link up every week or just sporadically it is fine with us.
I'll jump straight in there and share my week -
What I've learnt this week
That being ill is a hindrance to weight loss as sadly I don't lose my appetite like many do but I do lose my motivation to prepare healthy food
That I find it even harder to concentrate on being healthy when I am tired. I'm not even tired because I feel poorly but because Miss M has been poorly and has been waking me each night
Successes for this week
Despite being ill I haven't thrown the towel in, I have still been conscious to eat well
I resisted the urge to have a KFC on Thursday on my way home and instead had an M&S balanced for you thai green curry (about 800 calories less)
Good morning friends. When I was pondering this R2BC post yesterday I just couldn't think what I was going to write about. Now don't get me wrong it is not that I don't have things to be cheerful about. I'm feeling really quite happy, content and grateful right now but I have been doing this for so long that I just felt it all might be a bit boring and I might have said it all before.
But then I gave myself a virtual kick up the bum and reminded myself that when I post for R2BC I am amongst friends and no-one is going to mind (or even perhaps remember) if I have been cheerful for this same reason before.
As I was struggling for inspiration I decided to go back to an old method of mine and use the alphabet to help me focus, so here is my ABC of gratitude this week -
A - Anchor
I am so grateful that I have Jesus as my anchor. When things are not going the way I want them to it helps me immensely to know that my plans are not perfect but His are and all I have to do is keep trying as the good will come. He can never love me any more of any less than He does right now and that makes me the luckiest woman alive.
B - Being Bold
I'm proud to take steps that in years gone by I'd have considered bold and beyond my capabilities. Last week I delivered a letter to my local MP's office to urge him to speak up in parliament about the injustice that 130 million denied an education currently. He wasn't there so I didn't get to chat to him but it was good to get out from behind the PC and do something tangible.
C - Fight for Change
In the same vein as the above I am so proud to fight for what I believe in and campaign for change that must happen. I'm also really enjoying passing this passion on to my kids and asking them to get involved and help me.
They each made a short video to add to the ONE #GirlsCount campaign last week and now their voices are combined with the likes of Bono, Malala Yousafzai, Sheryl Sandberg and Charlize Theron shouting out that no girl of that 130 million will be forgotten as they all count. You can join in too if you fancy as one are counting from 1 to 130 million so there are plenty of people needed!
Fancy joining in?
That's it for this week, 3 short and sharp reasons to be cheerful and that was the basis of this linky when it started way back in January 2011. Everyone can join in, as when we dig deep there is always something to be thankful for and to give you even a hint of a smile! I'd love to read your Reasons to be Cheerful and it is as easy as 1, 2, 3 (or even A, B, C this week) to join in -
1. Link up a post about something that is making you super happy/ grateful. It can be in this style or it can be anything you like - a recipe, a tutorial, a from the heart, a list - it's your blog, you choose
2. Add the #R2BC badge onto your post or blog so that people can easily find the linky and join in too if they fancy
3. Share the love. This is the really important bit. Please don't just link and run, comment on at least a couple of posts and share with #R2BC
I'll stop by all linked up posts to comment and I'll share on twitter too
Wishing you an amazing week ahead. Be blessed, Mich x
If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Emailor perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!
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Today is international women's day and there is
no way I could let this day go by without writing about the injustice that many
women face in our world. I've learnt from my Nan and Mum how different things
were for women in their day and still even now there are barriers for women in
the UK to achieve the same as men but that's not what I'm writing about today.
I understand it is annoying or even infuriating
that we can't earn the same wage as a man, achieve the highest level jobs or
gain access to some exclusive clubs but compare that to girls and women in many
countries not being able to access education, work in many professions, vote,
own a home, inherit land or feel safe and the plight of equality for women in
the U.K. pales considerably. There are women fighting and championing for this
cause and that is right, as we all have our own passions and causes that set us
alight.
My passion, the one that breaks my heart is for all those living in extreme poverty in
developing countries. Yes, some of these countries many look rich on the face
of it but I can't ignore their people as 'they are not helping themselves'. We
all know the old saying 'the rich get richer and the poor get poorer' and it
breaks my heart that it is often true. You might have seen that in 2012 I
travelled to Ethiopia with ONE (the most amazing campaigning and advocacy
organisation, seeking to see an end to extreme poverty) to see the difference
that British and US aid made to the people there. It was a trip I'll never
forget and one day I pray I'll get to take more trips to developing countries
where I can offer my assistance, love and prayers.
Planning for food for the week is key to my successful weight loss
Welcome. It's so great to see you here for the first post in the #SlimmingSunday series. Emma at Life according to Mrs Shilts and I will be hosting this new linky each week and we'd love for you to join in.
Emma is a bit of a pro at Slimming World and has been following the plan for as long as I've known her (that must be at least 6 years or maybe more) and I highly recommend this great post if you are starting out on a Slimming World weight loss journey.
I am currently on Slimming World but I've tried out most diets and also Overeaters Anon for a few years as my weight is a lifelong battle and I've written about it quite extensively. As a Christian, I suffer with guilt for being this big (I need to lose around 8 stone) as I know I am abusing the body that God gave me and also I end up feeling bad that I turn to food for comfort rather than turning to God. So that's what I am doing right now, working on freeing myself from this guilt as that isn't God's plan for me.
I'm doing a 'Living Free' course at the moment, designed to help me live in the freedom that God gives me and I am making headway in learning that I am enough just as I am, I am loveable, I am unique, I am accepted and I am free to be who I was designed to be.
I started out well in January and lost half a stone but if I am really honest my food has been a struggle the last few weeks and I feel a bit of a fraud starting this linky but Emma and I have been planning it for a while and to be frank I think it is just what I need to get to motivated again. I'm not going to want to report in once a week to you all without some good news now, am I?
My FitBit has been dug out and I've been taking part in a few friendly challenges and moving much more. I really can't wait for the nicer weather to be here so I actually want to go out for very long walks. My step total for last week was 74,517 and I'm fine with that as it averaged over the 10K a day they recommend.
What I've learnt this week
I have to meal plan and stick to it, it is not enough to just hope!
That I must not buy foods that tempt me and have them in the house
Not to go off the grid. I need to keep chatting daily with my SW friends and logging my foods and taking pictures. Accountability really works.
Successes for this week
Moving more and being committed to wearing my FitBit even when my food hasn't been great
Spending lots of time with God and really working on loving and forgiving myself: Dumping the guilt!
Focus areas for the coming week
Drink a large glass of water before every meal (I've done this before and it helped curb me overeating)
Plan out my food for the week and stick to it. The online shop has already been ordered.
A strict week on plan, keeping a very close eye on my syns. Record everything super accurately
Results
This weeks result - 0.5 lbs, which is OK as I didn't really care for myself at all last week food wise
Weight loss to date in 2017 - 4.5 lbs
Starting BMI - 44.5 Current BMI - 43.6
Goals
Gain my half a stone award next Saturday (so that means losing 2.5 lbs)
2 stone loss by end of May for my Spain holiday
2.5 stone loss by 22nd July for my Bournemouth Holiday
3 stone loss by 15th August for my birthday
5 stone loss by the end of the year (that feels very exciting typing that!)
How to Join in
1) Write or link up an existing post about diet/ slimming/ healthy eating/ exercise or anything related to these topics
2) Grab the badge or add text link to either Emma or I (or both if you are feeling super generous)
3) Go share the love. Please comment on both Emma and My posts and also at least one other but it would be great if you feel you could comment on a few more.
Emma and I will come and visit you too and tweet out your links. Feel free to tag us in with @michelletwinmum and @mrsshilts and we'll give you an RT.
I can't wait to read your post. Have a fabulous week, Mich x
If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Emailor perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!
Parenting is a completely different ball game in 2017 than it was when I was a child. My son is now 13 years old and he is a bit of a tech genius. When his teachers have an issue he helps, when we need to know about the latest developments on the web it is him we ask and he's even applied to school to be a paid Pupil IT Technician.
When I was 13 the only piece of tech I had used was a ZX Spectrum and there was no such thing as the world wide web. When my parents wanted me to disconnect they pulled the plug out if I wasn't listening. Now I have to pray that my son is listening and being honest with me and when I ask him to have a tech free day (we all need to detox regularly) that he does stay off his laptop, iPad and phone and also that he doesn't sneak onto one of his sisters tablets or head to a friends to play or browse there.
Access to the world wide web is a normality today and generally that is a good thing as we are all able to do so much more than we used to and in a fraction of the time but as a parent it can be a real worry as to what our kids are looking at and being exposed to. I'm sure we are all aware of good practises with our children - things like only allowing them to play, chat and browse in an open area of our house, like the lounge or kitchen and keeping an open channel for communications, so that if they do get in trouble they know they can come to you and talk about it but even better if we could have real peace of mind.
Have a look at these children (ranging in ages) talking about what they know about the Internet and then ask yourself if you know more and do you know how to keep them safe and protected from harmful material?
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Hello friends, welcome back to Reasons to be Cheerful, hosted here at Mummy from the Heart for the month of March.
How are you doing? I'm sorry I've been a bit AWOL from R2BC in February, life just seemed to get in the way and I haven't really blogged much for me, but I've been OK with that as it has given me time to be with the family, although the weather has prevented us doing anything too interesting.
We did have a fab day on Monday though as the conference centre where we live was closed and all the staff and community had a day together. We prayed, worshipped, sung gospel, danced salsa, did team games and ate lots and lots! Look at those muffins we decorated too!
Easter is on the Way!
Yesterday was the start of Lent, the period leading up to Easter where Christians shift their focus from self and external stuff and focus their thoughts on Jesus and what He did for us at Easter time. I don't much go in for the giving things up for Lent school of thought, although I definitely would if I felt something had an unhealthy hold over me. What I am doing is choosing to spend more intentional time with God each day, so my clock has been set half an hour earlier and I am doing a Psalms bible study as well as joining in with #40Acts, which is ll about being overly generous during Lent.
All booked up
I've just finished booking all the little bits and bobs that you need when travelling abroad, so this morning has been about hotels, car parking and airport transfers. Why did I need to book these things? Because we are off to Playa Montroig Camping Resort on the Costa Dorada, Spain late in May to review this holiday parc for Eurocamp.
I can't begin to tell you how excited we all are, as the parc looks amazing and the kids are really looking forward to trying out the four pools and five different water slides. Whilst I'm going to book into the spa one afternoon for a massage and manicure and my husband will be happy to explore the local area and practise his photography.
Time with my Hubby
Last Saturday my husband and I had an evening out together without the kids and it is so nice to be able to chat without constant interruptions. We didn't do anything massively glamorous (we went and reviewed a pub/ restaurants over in Brighton) but we had good food, a few laughs and a nice time together.
We also have this Saturday night together, as he got me tickets for Dirty Dancing at the theatre in Eastbourne for Christmas. I'm sure we'll have some food out too and I hope this will be a really nice evening together.
Fancy joining in?
That's it for this week, 3 short and sharp reasons to be cheerful and that was the basis of this linky when it started way back in January 2011. Everyone can join in, as when we dig deep there is always something to be thankful for and to give you even a hint of a smile! I'd love to read your Reasons to be Cheerful and it is as easy as 1, 2, 3 to join in -
1. Link up a post about something that is making you super happy/ grateful. It can be in this style or it can be anything you like - a recipe, a tutorial, a from the heart, a list - it's your blog, you choose
2. Add the #R2BC badge onto your post or blog so that people can easily find the linky and join in too if they fancy
3. Share the love. This is the really important bit. Please don't just link and run, comment on at least a couple of posts and share with #R2BC
I'll stop by all linked up posts to comment and I'll share on twitter too
Wishing you an amazing week ahead. Be blessed, Mich x
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Amazing paintings done whilst we were at Spring Harvest last year
I'm part of a lovely FB group called Christian Bloggers UK and it is open for new members but there are three conditions to join. Can you guess what they might be? Yes, it is super easy - Christian, blogger and UK based or born. So if you fit this criteria and want somewhere to share inspiration and ask questions, then head over and request to join.
Rachel, who blogs over at Rachel Ridler: Mum on a Mission is on of the admins of this group and she has tagged me to join in with the Easter tag. All I need to do is share my answers to a set of ten questions and then tag three other blogger friends to join in. So here goes....
1. How are you celebrating Lent this year?
I love Easter, it is probably my favourite Christian celebration of the year and Lent is the time that I start to get excited for it. I don't much go in for giving things up over Lent as I think so many people do it for selfish reasons or through obligation rather than because they want to make space to focus more on Jesus and what He did for us at Easter time.
This year I am getting up half-an-hour earlier each day so I can do a Psalms bible study and pray more. I'm also joining in with the #40acts movement and dong Lent generously. I'll get an email each day with a few simple ideas of how I could be generous that day. Today I have dropped what I was doing to be a listening ear for someone and given them some practical help. Tomorrow - who knows!
2. What does Lent mean for you?
Lent for me is a time of preparation for Easter. I make space to focus more on God and less on me. As well as my early morning bible study I have also been listening to Christian podcasts today and I spent some time in the prayer centre creatively worshipping.
