Lifestyle // *My Goals for 2015*

And so 2015 begins and what a year I am hoping it will be! But before I rush ahead of myself let's see how I got on in 2014!

Instead of making ridiculous resolutions for 2014 that I would not keep (you know diet/keep fit etc), I decided to set myself Goals for 2014, these goals were; pay of the remainder of my overdraft/open a savings account, save money towards a house, get onto a teaching course and pass theory/driving test.

If I do say so myself I didn't do too bad with these goals; I managed to pay of all but a third of my overdraft which I kept to help me out over the Christmas period, I opened a savings account, we are looking into sorting out how much we can borrow for a mortgage, I got onto the Early Years Initial Teacher Training Programme at Derby University and I passed my driving test in May! Woo a good year all round, so after goals like these what do I plan for 2015? Well here goes...

• Be comfortable financially, budget appropriately.
• Buy my first house with my partner.
• Pass my EYITT and become an Early Years Teacher.
• Plan and maybe start preparing for a family.
• Think positive!

Remember if you set yourself goals! Be realistic, don't attempt more than you know you can handle!

Also, I found this to fill in for my year....

In 2015 -

A bad habit I'm going to break.... I will stop biting my nails! It's an anxiety issue I have when I am stressed and my nails look horrendous!

A destination I'd like to visit... My partner and I are in talks about hopefully visiting Amsterdam this year! I do hope it happens!

I'm going to work harder at... Passing my EYITT!

A project I'd like to finish... For Christmas my younger siblings bought me a Life Journal, so I am going to do my best to fill that in this year!

A class I'd like to take... Makaton! Which I shall be from January.

I'd like to spend more time doing... stuff with my partner, family and friends! I've been a right workaholic the last few months.

A food I want to eat more of... Fruit! I love the stuff I just can never be bothered to prepare it.

I want to wear more... everyday clothes, not just my uniform!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo



 

Theatre // *The Sound of Music @ Curve Theatre Leicester*



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           As some of you may have gathered I am a big theatre fan, and we are very lucky in Leicester to have a fantastic theatre in the city!

 

A few weeks back my mum, sister, aunt, great aunt, grandma, granddad and myself went to the fantastic The Sound of Music directed by Paul Kerryson (a fantastic director that has just been awarded an MBE).

 

The highlight of the show for me were certainly the children playing the roles of Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl, all children from the community. I recognised some of the children from the Curves recent community production Annie. The children are flawless in their renditions of "Do-Re-Mi", "The Lonely Goatherd" and "So Long, Farewell" and worked fantastically alongside, the beautiful Laura Pitt-Pulford as Maria. A wonderful actress that previously appeared in a supporting role, alongside the fabulous Janie Dee, in Hello Dolly ( Dec 2012). Pitt-Pulford plays a fantastic Maria, and makes the character completely her own and WOW! what a voice she has! My final highlight of the show is definitely Lucy Schaufer as Mother Abbess' incredible rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" so beautiful, it gave me goosebumps!

 

If you get the chance, and live nearby to Leicester, I would definitely suggest you get yourself tickets to see The Sound of Music, the run ends Saturday 17th January!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

xoxo

Lifestyle // *The Christmas Tag & an Apology*

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First of all I would like to apologise for the hefty absence from blogging! I've been awfully busy at the moment, but I am going to try and make more of an effort for those of you that take the time to look at my blog!

 

So here we go the Christmas Tag! Christmas certainly make up for the lack of sunshine in these wintery months doesn't it?!

 

What's your favourite Christmas Movie(s)?

 

My all time favourite has to be "Miracle on 34th Street" staring the late Richard Attenborough! I owned this film on VHS as a child and watched it every year from as long as I can remember! I also now own it on DVD and shall be watching it in the next few weeks.

 

Other favourites include:- "Arthur Christmas", "Father Christmas", "The Snowman", "Belle's Enchanted Christmas" (Disney freak alert!) and "Love Actually". I love a lot of Christmas films and have done very well to narrow that down phew!

 

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Do you open presents on Christmas morning or Christmas evening?

 

Always on Christmas morning. Although I am lucky to have a large family so we are exchanging gifts constantly throughout the day. This year we (my partner and I) are spending Christmas morning with my family, from there we move to my Grandmother's and then we will return home to Luke's parents house. So it's a busy, busy day for us!

 

Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

 

Every year new, lovely memories are made! I used to love (and still do) going to Christmas fetes, Christmas markets, going on Christmas outings with work colleagues and friends. I am particularly enjoying Christmas at work this year (I am a trainee Early Years teacher), we are making lots of Christmassy goodies for the children to take home to their parents (some of which I will be sharing on my new blog http://www.happyfeetandhappyhands.blogspot.com - sorry shameless blog plug ha) and they are all ever so excited about Santa paying them a visit!

 

What's your favourite festive food?

 

Pigs in Blankets are my favourite thing about Christmas Dinner! I could easily pig (excuse the pun) out on them all Christmas Day!

 

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What's been your favourite Christmas gift?

 

I couldn't possibly choose! Over the years there's always been that one gift that has been very much loved and appreciated so I will choose one from Christmas 2013. I received the Coco Mademoiselle EDP by Chanel and I absolutely love it! It is a smell you just cannot tire of!

 

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 What's your favourite Christmas scent?

 

Christmas is my favourite time of the year to buy candles as there are some amazing smells available! My all time favourites have to be Cinnamon and Gingerbread! Another smell I love is Christmas dinner being cooked, it's amazing and is always the best meal of the year!

 

Do you have a Christmas Eve tradition?

 

Not particularly. The last two years I have worked Christmas Eve at the Theatre I work in (yes I still have two jobs!) which is lovely, especially when you see all the over-excited children and we always get to dress up! After work I will usually go meet Luke and we'll have a drink or two with his family.

 

What tops your tree?

 

At my parent's house it's a fibre optic Angel which my mum has had for years! At Luke's parent's its an home-made Angel that his older brother made when he was in primary school!

 

As a child, what was the one (crazy, extravagant) gift you wanted but never got?

 

Gosh, I probably asked for a horse on more than one occasion. Although what I would have done with a horse I don't know, seeing as I am not at all a horse-rider.

 

What do you think is the best part of Christmas?

 

Family is most definitely the best part of Christmas. That one day a year you spend together just being happy!

 

 

Well that was fun :) and made me feel even more Christmassy :)

 

If you made it to the end, why not have a go and let people know where you got the inspiration!

 

Thanks for reading xoxo

 

(I copied this tag from Beth at Birds Words)

 

*Merry Christmas Everyone*

Theatre // *Birdsong @ Curve Theatre Leicester*

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of going to see Sebastian Faulk's Birdsong at Curve Theatre, Leicester. The tickets had been purchased for me by my Grandparents for my 23rd birthday so I had been looking forward to seeing this play since April! It certainly did not disappoint! I found myself completely absorbed into what was happening on stage, I laughed and I cried, it was honestly one of the best pieces of theatre I have seen in a long time!

Here is what the play is about (according to the curve website: link here) -

"In pre-war France, young Englishman Stephen Wraysford embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their world upside down.
As the war breaks out over the idyll of his former life, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle as his world explodes around him."

I have always loved anything to do with the Great War in particular literary. During Year 9 of high school we studied the Great War in our History lessons. We got the opportunity to go to Belgium and it was wonderful, we visited trenches, museums and burial grounds. Whilst I was an A-Level English Literature student I studied First World War poetry and the works of Siegfried Sassoon.

Anyway back to Birdsong, the play is an adaptation of the book by Sebastian Faulk (which is on my to read list!) and was written by Rachel Wagstaff. This adaptation was directed by Alastair Whatley. It truly was amazing, if it is on at a theatre near you, I very much recommend going to see it.

The Curve is a fabulous theatre with plenty of innovative work to see.
Some musicals and plays I would recommend going to see to finish this season are -

• Curve's community production of Annie (I already have my tickets!) 26 July - 10 August.
• Curve's community production of Rent (very excited to see this one!) 31 July - 7 August.

Thanks for reading xoxo

Lifestyle // *My New Year Goals: Six Months On....*

We are now halfway through the first week of June and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to review my new year goals for 2014! First off I set myself four personal goals for 2014, they were Pay off the remainder of my overdraft/open a savings account, save money towards house/car, get onto a pgce, pass theory and driving test.

I also set myself some health goals for the new year these were to basically eat better, drink less alcohol and cut down on crappy food.

Well I haven't done too bad with the personal goals I have still yet to pay off the remainder of my overdraft, but I have opened a savings account. I have yet to start putting any money aside for a house, but I have borrowed some money in order to purchase a car. I didn't get onto a PGCE specifically but I have got onto a course called Early Years Initial Teacher Training that I will be starting in September. I did also pass my theory test in March and my practical driving test 2 weeks ago.

So all in all, I would say I've done pretty well this year and with six months still too go I am hoping I can cross of the remainder of my yearly goals.

xoxo

Lifestyle // *100 Days of Happy (A Review)*

So if you follow my instagram (find it here!) you will know that I took part in the 100 Days of Happy hashtag that had been going around. I thought that today I would share with you the things that made me happy (minus the pictures, if you want to see them feel free to pop over to my instagram here).
Here are some of the things that made me happy from the end of February through to midway through May according to 100 Days of Happy:-

• Dance show week.
• Tea.
• Percy Pigs.
• Passing my driving test.
• Washing my hair.
• Wedding invite.
• New shoes.
• Snaps.
• Chocolate.
• Having a good day.
• Baths.
• Playing with Dylan.
• Flowers.
• My bed.
• Pokémon
• Penguins
• Perfume
• My blog
• Call the midwife
• Fleetwood mac.
• Theatre.
• Joni Jeans.
• Frozen
• Cocktails
• Spending time with family.
• Turtle Bay.
• Lipstick.
• Spending time with friends.
• New pyjamas.
• Chocolate.
• Feel positive.
• McBusted.
• Harry Potter World.
• Luke.
• Toby.
• Disney films.
• Novelty gifts.

Some of these things are materialistic but they made me happy so who cares!
Thanks for reading.
xoxo

Music // *Miley Cyrus @ Birmingham NIA*

So a few weeks ago, I went to see Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour at Birmingam NIA with a good friend from work. I was fully expecting it to a massive spectacle, but I was not prepared for what I did witness!

 

I had read a lot about Miley's Bangerz tour in the media and although they exaggerated a lot (it wasn't as bad as they made it out to be) it was amazing!

 

As my friend says, I was apparently staring at the stage with my mouth open for a good 10 minutes. I was in absolute awe 1) because of how mental the stage was, and 2) because of how amazing Miley looked on stage! (serious woman crush on Miley!)

 

The first song of the show was Bangerz (SMS) which featured Miley entrance through a giant version of her own face, down a helter skelter from her mouth acting as that infamous tongue.

There were numerous costume changes, which each only took a few minutes (another thing I was in awe of). One of my personal favourites #GETITRIGHT featured Miley on a giant bed in which throughout the song, each dancer appeared climbing through the bed. The song ended looking very much like an orgy.

 

She ended the show with the twerk-tastic We Can't Stop, followed by an amazing rendition of Wrecking Ball and finally finished with the classic Party in the USA in which it very much seemed as though Miley was taking the mickey out of her old persona.

 

I must definitely admit (even though I was seated miles away) it was a show well worth seeing! An amazing show, with amazing set, costumes and dancing.

 

So to finish have a picture of Miley looking hot!

 

Thanks for reading! xoxo