Simply sewing and simply sore.

Hi everyone, it's Monday morning and I'm up a bit earlier so I can maybe get this wee blog in while getting people ready for school and lunches done etc.

This is what is looking like outside just now, well, 20 minutes ago. Was watching Stephanie Persons you tube channel yesterday talking about the carcadian rythem and how important it was to be in bed for 10. So I duly obliged and was up at 6.30. I'm now quite wakened and full of beans. I'm usually quite a late bed person, maybe in bed but reading and stuff but last night it was lights out and eyes shut at 10. Which meant eyes wakened at 3.30 but I went back quick enough till the alarm went off.

See what came out last week? Simply Sewing. I've been so excited since I read in simply crochet they were starting a sewing magazine. Thursday lunchtime I went to he newsagents. Not there. Came home and went to Irvine Tesco, not there. Irvine Sainsburies, not there. Irvine Asda, not there. I was pretty pissed of by this time. So one last chance, Stevenston Morrisons on the drive back. Bingo! Loads of them in there. But I haven't opened it yet. I just wanted it there for when I was ready and the weekend wasn't the right time. I think tonight I will snuggle up with tea and the mag once the kids are in bed.

You may think I'm a bit crunchy, gone in the head to have travelled to so many places to track it down. Well you would be right. I'm a bit odd like that. I'm going to get a subscription going to avoid future incidents.

Now, here is the sore bit. I went to my first physical training session at Blades Gym in Ardrossan. Wullie the trainer was lovely. Explained everything really well, made me feel at ease and made me work for an hour which would render my legs sore for the rest of the weekend. Muscles that obviously not been used for a while. Wullie and his wife Louise have a lot of titles in the strongman / woman competitions so I'm really pleased to be training there.

This morning I'm not just as sore. I can come down the stairs a bit better. I've got till Wednesday to recover then it's back in for round 2. I've running tomorrow night as well. They did say I should lay off the cardio for a month till the strength training kicks in but I'm scared to stop for a month as it took me so long to get there with the running. Quandary!

Have a lovely day everyone and I should be able to come back soon with a review of how I found Simply Sewing.

 

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Small victories

Hey blog readers, if there are any left. Long time no see. I've not updated for ages, you know how sporadic my blogging can be. Usual story, I've been busy but just with general life and maybe not anything blog worthy. Not at least till I can cram a few months worth into one post and make it seem awesome!

Spending a few quiet moments before I head off to work. Social services await my wonderful administrative skills. Lucky them.

I've been back to the jog group, since just before Christmas. I didn't post it as a New Years resolution and that puts all sorts of pressures on it with a probability that if it didn't work out I would feel like a failure. So I've kept it under my belt till I felt comfortable. Jogging has been great. First week I could hardly make it round the track. Six weeks (roughly) later I made it round 400, 600, 800 then 6 amd 4 again. I managed every bit without stopping which for me was massive. I was most likely grinning to myself as I completed the 800. Smiling at the random dog walkers who were walking round the outside of the track. Let's not get over excited though, 800m - a 10k in May. Bit of a difference there.lots of work to be done but I'm sure with the encouragement of the other lovely joggers and the coaches it is doable.

Last night after work I took advantage of being child free and was going to go to the gym but I went to the big gym and walked in and bottled it. The treadmills were all busy and run was all I was there for. Felt a bit intimidated so I left. I'm comfortable in my jog group, or up at the smaller campus gym but not in the big gym. So I left and parked down near the shore front. It was getting dark but that's all good, less people to see me. There was a funny smell, pretty sure someone was smoking a funny cigarette.

So that was another small victory for me as I ran from the car along to the church and back, without stopping. Going very slow, but consistent. I went home happy.

So I'm obviously trying to lose weight along the way as five foot and 12 stone, well you work it out. I'm never going to be a big loser (err hurray), I pound here, 1 pound there but that's okay. I know it's a cliche but it didn't go on over night and it's not going to come off over night either. But I feel better. I'm eating less carbs. I tried low low low carbs but I struggled. Then when I started I found it easier to run for longer. It's all about finding what's right. I do love all the low carb recipies though.

I made a smoothie yesterday and after reading one of the blogs, input cinnamon in it. Bad move. I don't think it had hit the bottom when I made a mad lurch for the bathroom, trying not to be sick in the hall. I alsomst catapulted myself into the bathroom and into the bath. You probably can guess the rest. So this mornings smoothie is a bit less controversial. Frozen banana, blackberries, milk and some proton shake. Oh yes and the spinach. Let's not forget the green.

So it's off to work I go, all smoothied up, earphones in and a lunch date with Stuart to look forward to.

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Super Sunday. not football related

It's Sunday night again though by the time i post this it will most likely be midweek. 
The last week was super busy getting my people ready for Halloween. Last Saturday we went to the pool. I let them go in by themselves and i sat at the side and read my book. I was finishing off the final bits of tales from a blue bike. 

 I really enjoyed that book, hearing all about Tsh and her lovely family. Im getting more onboard all the time with living more intentionally though in my own way. I do have far less stuff now though than i used to have which is great.

Last Sunday was a quiet day. Really nothing much happened that day at all. 

 
Monday, work work work.

Tuesday, now this is the exciting bit. We booked a holiday. Our first ever holiday abroad with the kids. Its not till next year but ooooooh I. am. so. excited.  We all are so excited.  We will be off to Lanzarote. I will need to post some links to that once I am on the desk top.

I am still working on my wee guys Halloween costume.  Its cost me zero to make and I got lots of bits of card and cut them out.  Every single one of them.  I must admit it did get a bit labourious but the end result was just perfect.  Well I think so and so does my Joe.

Wednesday was all about the pumpkins.  Stuart had scooped all the innards out the night before so we were free to get creative after work without worrying about the grisly task of scooping and scraping out the middle of the pumpkin.  I really do not like that job and was very glad of the help.

Jessica was totally independent with her choice and took her time with the pumpkin carver.  She done such a good job of her minecraft pumpkin, I was very proud.  Joe picked what he wanted his pumpkin to be but also picked that he wanted me to carve it.  That was fine.  The thought of Joe with even a sharpish instrument worries me slightly though after cutting my thumb open at the age of 17 while making a Halloween costume, i cant really talk.  Zelda was his request.  Im not even sure now what the Zelda thing was but im sure there was an eagle.  I was pretty impressed that I pulled it off.  I should have been happy at that but then decided that I would make mine the Death Star.  Because a working mum of two isnt busy enough you see.  I started it but Stuart finished it. Fair enough.  Half way through the Death Star I got kind of well, bored.   It turned out well though.

Thursday night -  Final prep for the Halloween costume for Joe and out went Jessica to her Halloween party at the Brownies, oops.  Guides.  She was an evil Minnie Mouse.  We got her costume from XS in Irvine.  Jess did not want a handmade costume by mum.

Friday was the big day!  Halloween.  Joe went to my friends house and went round the doors with him.  I went too and was quite mesmerised by how busy the street was.  Where we stay isnt that busy with kids, you might get a few but not compared to what I saw up at my friends.  Jessica went out with her friends under the watchful eye of one of their cousins and a cousins friend.  The got a fair amount of sweeties, very lucky wee people indeed.

Jess decided to put out monkey nuts for the squirrels that sometimes brave our garden but the magpies made short work of the nuts.  They didn't last long at all

Saturday - Lazy day, nothing to report.  Unless you really need to hear about the most delicious black bean I got from the Chinese.

Sunday - Slightly less lazy.  After church the kids went to spend the afternoon while I ironed.  It had  to be done.  And it was all done.  So much so I ran out of coat hanger. Then it was the fireworks.  We were going to go down to the harbour in Saltcoats and see them.  The fair was there so obviously the kids wanted to go on the rides. But just as we got our jackets on to leave the house the heavens opened.  Luckily we are close the harbour so we could see them from the house.  It's nice though to get all wrapped up and take the kids down.  Just not in the driving rain.  I actually don't like the noise of fireworks too much so I was happy to be in the house.

There is one member of our house though who really isn't keen on the fireworks.

Thanks for reading.xx

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Autumn is creeping in.

Today was Saturday, one of my favourites. Especially the morning part. i had a few glasses of the red stuff the night before so I enjoyed a nice lie in till 9. Jess came back from her sleepover at 11 then wee Joe and myself went for the shopping. Rolls and slice were bought from the Kandy Bar for lunch.

We made the most of the sunny afternoon by taking a run over to Eglinton Park. Its so cheery and well, colourful. Whatever the season. Poor Belle isn't allowed in the playpark so while the kids played i went a short walk with Belle to see if there were any conkers to be found. Sadly there were none, not even the shells. Im sure I am not early so I can only assume I am way late.

Jessica spotted Scooby doo in the park (no dogs eh) and bagged herself a selfie.

Today was a horrid day, weatherwise. It just rained then was sunny for 10 mins then rained again; repeated throughout the day. Dog didn't want to venture out, kids were dead against going anywhere so a house day it was. We had a visit from the kids granny and grandpa. Granny was just back from a trip to Canada and came with clothes which they were delighted with.

I made soup. I bought a ham hock yesterday and to be honest wasn't too sure what to do with it. The house now reeks of bacon. Too much, too much. I managed to find a recipe then added a few bits of my own. I thought it was just a case of chucking it in with the soup and letting it do its thing but no, i had to take bits off. That bit gives me the heaves. I hate anything I need to pick the meat off. Chicken wings? no thanks. yuck

I then used up the very last of the rhubarb. For my old favourite, a crumble. It was nice but some bits seemed undercooked. The crumble bit was awesome though.

And now im winding down with some of Stuarts homebrewed gingerbread beer. He has made lots of different types now. This one is quite spicy and slower to drink than some of the others but very very nice. How lucky to have my own beer crafter at home.

Cheers, goodnight and thanks for reading.

 

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