Category: All About ME!

All About ME!

My 33rd Birthday

JayneLeave a comment

This Sunday is my 33rd birthday. Woohoo, right? Except, not really – who actually celebrates being 33?! I’ve actually been spoilt rotten already by Husband – my laptop died a few weeks ago, so he bought me a brand-spanking new one as an early present, AND surprised me with a grey leather Pandora bracelet and moonstone birth charm that I’ve been coveted for ages last week! However, I usually get money as a gift from other family members, so I’ve been trying to think about what to spend it on (rather than doing what I do every other year and keeping the cash in my purse until it ends up being spent on takeaway or petrol!). Here’s a few things I came up with:

Garden Furniture

We’ve got an amazing garden where we live now, but it’s basically just a massive plain lawned area with a little bit of patio. I’ve been planning to get some garden furniture for ages so that we can make the most of our outside space but nothing struck my fancy until I looked at Nest. Their ranges are so much more contemporary than average garden furniture and it would look absolutely fabulous in our back garden!

A Latte Maker

Even though I’m on a strict low-carb diet, one indulgence that I haven’t given up is a daily latte. I have a loyalty card for the supermarket opposite Sausage’s school which entitles me to a free coffee and I do tend to go in most days, but I would absolutely love a proper coffee machine to enable me to make myself a decent drink at home.

Books

This one might seem really dull, but I used to spend a fair amount on books and I’ve basically stopped since the girls came along, I’ve got a list as long as my arms of things I want to read and since BB is starting school in September, I’ll have more time to read. I’ve been adding the things I want to read to a wishlist so perhaps I’ll start at the beginning and work my way through!

Perfume

The last time I bought myself a bottle of perfume was back in 2012, when I started a new job. The job didn’t last and the perfume is all gone, and although I’ve been bought perfume as a gift by Husband since then, I haven’t treated myself, so I might spend a morning at the perfume counter sniffing new scents and seeing what I like.

Afternoon Tea

This may sound bonkers seeing as EVERYONE seems to go for afternoon tea these days, but I’ve never actually been for afternoon tea before. Part of managing to be succesful on my diet has been allowing myself the odd cheat day here and there, and I think treating myself to an afternoon tea for my birthday would be the perfect cheat meal and celebration!

All About ME!

A Healthy Mum Means A Happy Family

JayneLeave a comment

When you’re a full-time working mum, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks. Usually, most of your attention is focused on your kids, and perhaps, that’s the way it should be. The problem is that by always putting your kids first, you can forget to look after yourself. Working full time is stressful when you’re a mum, and you don’t want to lose your quality of life because you haven’t been looking after your own health. Here are some of the things that you need to think about to stay healthy when you’re working.

Cut Out The Stress

Do Not Worry

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By far one of the greatest dangers to your health is stress. Stress can have a number of different effects on the body. It has even been connected to the development of certain types of cancer. As such, you need to do everything you can to reduce stress in your working life. Breathing exercises are a simple way to do this. If you feel yourself getting stressed, just count to ten while breathing in deeply. As you let it out, you should find your stress levels are quickly diminished.

Sleep is important for regulating stress and tension too. Make sure you’re doing everything possible to get those eight hours that you need. To do this, you can think about writing before bed. This will help you deal with some of the thoughts swirling around your mind that could ultimately keep you up until the late hours.

Don’t Put Yourself In Harm’s Way

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There will be situations where you could put your health at risk simply by completing your job, and a simple example would be RSI. It’s estimated that twenty percent of the UK workforce deal with some form of RSI or repetitive strain injury. It is typically caused by typing for long periods without breaks. If you suffer from this, you may eligible for an injury claim. You might want to look into PISD claims for injury because your employer is accountable for any injury you suffer from while at work. Don’t forget, even the smallest injury can impact your mental and physical health.

Eat Well

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By eating a healthy diet, you can look after your mood, your mind and your body. You’ll keep your body strong, and it will be able to deal with the pressures of the day. Eating a good, wholesome diet filled with fruit and vegetables has also been shown to elevate mood and allow people to tackle problems more effectively. You don’t have to be a fitness nut to accomplish this either. Balancing your diet with the five recommend a day is enough. Another way you can really change the way you live to be more healthier, is to go to the gym atleast a few times a week, when doing this you may need some sport supplements. Take a look at some of the best on the market at Supplements Direct.

Take A Little Time

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Last but not least, every once in awhile you should make sure  you are taking some time for yourself. This could be anything from one day a week to twenty minutes every day. During this time forget the difficult situations around you and relax. Read a book, take a nap or just have a lovely soak in the bath. This will give your body and your mind the time it needs to recharge and keep you healthy.

All About ME!

Things to Do Before I’m 40

JayneLeave a comment

A few years ago, I wrote a list of things I wanted to do before I hit 30. Aside from the fact that I wrote it with not really enough time to achieve any of the things on the list, life changes and it became rather obsolete, but I was thinking recently that I should make another list of things to do before I’m 40 (especially because I’ve got about 2 and a half years to achieve it all in!) so here’s a few things that I know I’m going to include:

Get a Degree

I’ve been so wishy-washy with getting my education but I’ve FINALLY decided what I want to do and have changed my subject from Psychology to English Literature and Language. Once I’ve completed my degree, I intend to get a teaching qualification and become a teacher. Or maybe I’ll finally finish the kids novel I’ve been writing for years, although I think I’ll probaby need to hire a developmental editor to get that done! It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for such a long time and it’s a profession which will fit in with our family. Hopefully I’ll have achieved it all before I’m 40!

Go on a Hen Do

Amazingly enough, I’ve managed to reach the grand old age of 32 without ever having been on a hen do, and I didn’t have one of my own when I got married, either (nor did Husband have a Stag Do…aren’t we boring?!). Having said that, I’d love to go on a Hen Do and enjoy a proper girlie evening out with my chums, I just need some of them to hurry up and get married!

Be a Bridesmaid

Maybe I’m just a person who’s not conducive to weddings, but I’ve never been a bridesmaid either! I didn’t have any bridesmaids when I got married, purely because we got married on a desert island in the middle of nowhere and didn’t have anyone with us, so I can understand why I’ve not been top of anyone’s list for being their bridesmaid…although Sausage always insists that she’s going to have me as her Maid of Honour, so maybe I’ll get a shot one day after all!

Travel More

I’m lucky enough to have been to a few really amazing places, not least of all being the Maldives, but I really would love to travel more and take the girls to a few places too. We’re lucky enough to live close to a medium-sized airport which flies to a few different European destinations, so once we’ve all got our passports sorted we’ll be up, up and away!

Write a Book

I’ve had the beginnings of a novel floating around in my head for the longest time, Ive just never managed to get it down on a page. I’ve got no illusions of being the next J.K. ROwling or anything but it would be so cool to write a book and maybe even self publish a few copies, so that I can see my own name in print.

 

All About ME! · Beauty · Happiness · Health

Taking Care of Yourself this Spring

JayneLeave a comment

I don’t know about you but I’m SO ready for some warmer weather. The winter has really taken it out of all of us and I’m definitely looking forward to longer days and some sunshine on my face. I’ve been doing a lot more to take care of myself lately, eating properly and going to the gym, and I’ve been thinking about ways that I can expand on that in the coming days, so I thought I’d share with you my top five ways to take care of yourself this spring:

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is good for so many things and I’ve been looking at all of the different uses for the different oils, including anti-ageing properties and ways to soothe aching muscles. Neal’s Yard Remedies have an amazing range which are completely organic and have an oil for every ailment imaginable – I’m planning to mix a few of my own scents to use in the bath on gym days.

Massage

A few years back, I went for a massage at a local day spa and I enjoyed it SO much but it’s something I’ve never found the time or money to do again. Now that I’m running and weight lifting, I feel like I’d really benefit from a massage (or even regular massages) so I’m planning to make Spring the season in which I do it!

SLEEP!

Sleep is SO important to healing and mental health and as most parent knows it can also be an elusive thing! It becomes even more important when you’re exercising because the body needs time to heal and repair itself, so I’m planning on revamping the whole look of our bedroom and treating us to some new bed linen, to make our bedroom a palace of relaxation so that sinking in to bed at night feels like a proper treat! Many people struggle with nasal issues which interrupt sleep, so consulting a nose surgeon might really help.

Yoga

As well as the exercise that I’m already doing, I’m planning to throw in a weekly yoga class as well. Running and weight-lifting are both great ways to lose weight, increase strength and tone up but I’m hoping that yoga will help with my flexibility and also help to improve any muscle aches that I get after working out. Invest in a decent yoga mat if you plan to go to a class as the gym’s own ones usually smell of feet!

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a word that I’ve heard a lot of people use in the last couple of years and after looking into it, I think it’s something I could really stand to learn more about. The definition of mindfulness is “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” and it sounds like exactly what I need for my Springtime self-care.

What are you doing to take care of yourself this Spring?

All About ME!

How To Make Use Of Spare Time On Your Own

JayneLeave a comment

In many cases, society expects us to parent our children in a certain way and judges us if we do certain things, like letting them stay up late or eating certain types of food. Heaven forbid spending time away from our children due to the accusations of neglect we’d receive. But the fact of the matter is that it is good to spend some child free time to yourself, and there is no reason to feel guilty about it. Of course we love our children and cherish them dearly, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to crave a little ‘me time’ as well. There will be plenty of opportunities to spend time with them, tell them off and use your unimpressed poker face when they’re being naughty. Whether they’re away for a whole week, just a weekend, or just during the day at school, here are a number of ways that you can make the most of your alone time.

Couple Time

If you and your partner are new parents, you may have forgotten what life was like before. So why not arrange for your children to have a sleepover with the grandparents, allowing for you to have a child free evening. This frees up time to go to the cinema, enjoy a candle lit meal or even just enjoy a bottle of wine. Why not revisit your first ever date together and remind yourselves of who you were before you were parents. It will make your bond as a couple stronger than ever, perhaps even reinvigorating the relationship as you continue your parenthood journey.

Girly Time

As much as you love your children, if you spend lots of time with them, you’re bound to miss regular interaction with adults. So whenever you get the chance of free time away from your children, utilise the time by hanging out with your friends. Whether that means heading to your favourite café for a cup of coffee and a really long gossip, or a pamper session at the salon, it will be great to have an adult conversation and you’ll feel energised and recharged afterwards.

Gym

A great way of keeping fit and a great social opportunity, statistically, people who go the gym are also far happier because exercise releases dopamine, a chemical in the brain that increases happiness. If you get yourself into a regular routine, even if it’s just once a week, and go along with a friend to keep each other motivated (it also provides opportunity for gossip). It’s also good to check if your gym runs classes like spinning, yoga or aerobics which can be great for meeting like minded people.