I woke up early for a Saturday. After a cuppa, I cleaned up the flat, I wrapped most of the Christmas gifts and Skyped the family (whilst wearing my new heels for the Christmas party next Friday so they don’t hurt as much on the day, they look ridiculous with my pjs on, but they are gorgeous!) as today is my little sis nameday. I cannot wait to spend Christmas with my favourite people in the whole wide world.
I love gifts. I love the expressions on others’ faces when they open them and I’ve decided long time ago to go for sentimental, meaningful presents.
Speaking of gifts my colleagues and I are putting together care packages for the homeless and gathering all of them at the office for collection or if not possible a lovely colleague offered to give me a lift to the nearest church. If you work at Solent, or even if you don’t and you want to prepare one, you can drop it at mine’s or at the University and I’ll add it to the rest. Already 10 of us is doing it, the more we can get the merrier.
I want to include a hot drinks/food voucher in my box, but I’d prefer it if it was from a local coffeeshop and I’ve already messaged a couple but if you know any they offer vouchers I can buy, let me know!
Christmas gifts
My legs still ache and I haven’t managed to do any Yoga since Tuesday. I feel terrible. I let Blogmas, PT sessions, social obligations and the cold to win. But I’m back on it tomorrow.
Now time for quick dinner before I get to Chris’s first ever (since I’ve known him) housewarming do!!!! For those who know Chris, this is a big deal. This is the event we’ll be waiting for, for years.
I don’t know if him promising me £8,000 if he doesn’t have a housewarming do before Christmas on a night out a while ago, had anything to do with it, but either way I’m excited.
And I can’t wait for all to see what I got him for his new home. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever purchased. I’ll share a photo tomorrow, I don’t want to spoil it in case he reads this beforehand.
Tomorrow I’ll be taking part in something superbly exciting, I can’t say what yet, and then on to meet my potential new flatmate.
I’ll tell you all about it on Blogmas Day 10. We are getting closer!
Disrupted sleep, bizarre dreams. And I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. My legs ached. A lot.
But I gathered up all my strength, got ready and got out of the flat. It was windy and it rained pretty badly but I snuggled up to my shawl, crawled down the stairs and opened up my already half broken umbrella.
It did nothing. The wind was so strong the umbrella completely broke on my way to work, my hair was ruined and looked as if I came out of a 60s movie all day and my already battered legs got soaking wet.
Not a good start. Fortunately at lunchtime the rain stopped so I made my final Christmas shopping purchases i.e. wrapping paper, gift tags and Christmas cards and a new umbrella!
On my way home I normally walk through Bedford Place, living in the area and all and I expected it to be busy with all the festivities planned but it was pretty quiet. The only Christmas related event was three lovely ladies dressed up as elves giving out free sports massage vouchers. Not sure if I missed it….
I’m about to go to my first viewing now. I’m feeling a little nervous. I don’t know what to ask, what to observe since I’ve never done this before. How do you decide if you want to live with a complete stranger assuming he would want to live with me? It will be an interesting experience either way.
After that is time for some Christmas gift wrapping.
Here’s to Friday! I’m already exhausted but I can’t wait for the weekend. It’s going to be an awesome one.
I’m sitting on my sofa in my warm winter jumper, heating on, watching Sunday Brunch (I love Bradley Walsh, he is hilarious!) and browsing the internet for Christmas gifts and new wardrobe/style ideas.
After I was done with house chores yesterday I spent the rest of the day comfort eating, reading and watching Christmas movies on Channel 5.
I’m loving all the Christmas adverts out this week. My favourite is probably the Talk Talk one (it’s all about what matters most, family and watching Christmas movies on Christmas day snacking and cuddling with my sisters, our parents falling asleep on the sofa and Oscar the great lying next to us keeping us warm with his fur and occasionally trying to steal our food), closely followed by M&S (I love Paddington, watching it with the family at Christmas is one of my favourite memories). I actually had a sweet conversation on Twitter with M&S that made my day. The little things!
I feel calm, relaxed, rested. And you know why?
I stopped and took a break from all my week plans and obligations and spent my time dealing with all the thoughts and worries nagging me for weeks and treated myself, something I’d advise everyone to do.
I felt tired and drained all week, so much so that I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. The cold made it even harder. But what was going through my mind was the real culprit.
First I was excited applying for a new job but as soon as I start composing my personal statement anxiety and self-doubt kicked in. Should I apply? Am I good enough?
With the help of a great friend who advised me how to link my skills and experience to the role and had a read of my application before I clicked ‘Apply’ I finally did it. Now it doesn’t matter if I get it or not because I know I did my best and that’s all I can do. First worry dealt with.
Co-incidentally I came across an interview Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn gave a while ago. It’s not hard to see why he is highly regarded and admired by many. At some point he talked about happiness. He only realised how truly happy he could be when he met his now wife. Before it was all work work work. Another example that success and money doesn’t necessarily mean happiness. It reminded me again to stop and appreciate the little things. Of course I want to have a successful career in something I love and I’d be over the moon when that happens but life is much more than that.
For about a month now my teeth have been very sensitive and I could not understand why which led to a train of worrying, terrifying thoughts. Since my NHS dentist was fully booked until January I bit the bullet and decided to visit my private dentist, although I don’t have much money left until the end of the month.
Never have I ever felt so horrified going for a check up. But Tobi was lovely and re-assuring (although I held my breath when she said ‘just checking for any lumps or bumps’, a normal part of a check-up, but I’ve been watching so many Stand Up to Cancer clips lately my overworking, crazy brain paralysed me with fear). Totally worth the money.
The cause of the problem: grinding my teeth in my sleep and I need one of those fancy mouth guards. At least I now know what is causing it and how to fix it.
I skipped salsa on Wednesday. I was exhausted, it was freezing cold and the week before I didn’t get to practise any of the steps we learned as most of the men in the group unfortunately can’t get the basic steps and I could not cope with explaining the basic steps again 1,2,3 5,6,7 or even simpler quick, quick slow, quick quick slow and that ladies always turn on the right within those steps not whenever and in whatever direction.
I’m usually extremely patient and understanding but with everything else going on in my head I just couldn’t do it. I may return next week.
I re-arranged my first hot power yoga session for next weekend so I could have a lie in and rest.
The only thing I stuck to all week was my daily yoga and music, my soul medicine. So much good music out there, it’s impossible to mention all the new gems I discovered, but I love Surround me by Leon, Does she Even know by Ider, World Gone Mad by Bastille and new Recording 135 by Leo (one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard), check my Spotify for more.
On Thursday night my sisters sang at a local bar in Nicosia to raise money for a local animal shelter, the one my sister volunteers for and I visited in the summer. I couldn’t be there but my parents (who are not very good with technology) managed to connect us. They didn’t realise everyone could hear them, so I got to listen to their hilarious random conversations, their out of tune singing along, so endearing, I didn’t realise that I could be seen when they accidentally added me as I guest so people tuning in had the chance to see me eating chocolate on camera, I chatted to the people I knew there, my sisters’ friends, and I got to watch almost the entire show live. Thank you mamma and papa!
Facebook live- Southampton and Nicosia
If I could, I would have popped to Cyprus for a week to re-charge and recuperate but since I couldn’t, this was the closest I got to. On Thursday I felt I was there, my parents doing their thing, getting into hilarious situations, sisters singing and me cheering them on in the background. Just what I needed!
Finally, on Friday I celebrated the end of the week with lunch and laughs with my bestie and my lovely lady friends from work. Wonderful, warming ramen at Wagamama followed by take away delicious brownies from Coffeelab. Perfect way to end this week.
Ramen
Orange and hazelnut brownie
I’m rested and ready now for a busy week and weekend.
Lessons I learned after I turned 30 