Gentle nudge - 50 things that make me happy...

Totals...Twitter 2 so far this morning - obviously only because I am avoiding doing anything actually productive...Facebook...one status update but many comments on friends threads once again a ploy to avoid any actual work!...Actual productive writing...nothing (hangs head in shame) studying and wedding planning eating all of my time.
Cups of coffee...2...cupcake...1 (home made gluten free with mini dinosaurs on it!!)
Mostly on Spotify this morning...Birdie, James Bay, John Mayer.

So in an attempt to once again re-kindle my motivation for blogging I have been sent a proverbial kick up the rear by a friend https://peachjones.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/50-things-that-make-me-happy , thank you so much! But here goes with my list...

Wilbur

Archie invasion

Milo rocking his bow tie

1. I am going to steal this one! (sorry Peach!) but my pets no matter what the day brings they can make you smile in an instant! Archie (the tabby) thinks that my writing cave is his own and that when I enter it gives him licence to lay across everything ensuring that nothing actually gets done. The fact that he is currently asleep gives me chance to do this!

My Dad

Me and my fiancée!

2. My family, friends  and my husband to be!
I don't have many family members that live close by apart from 

My Mum and Milo

an aunt, uncle and cousin the remainder of my family live
in Devon. Since moving here I have made some amazing friends and they fulfil the role of surrogate family and I truly value the friendships made.  But I don't think I have really appreciated how far away my family live, that is until recently on one of my many  'Bridezilla' mega meltdowns! The fact that by default I get to become part of another amazing family very soon makes me feel really happy.


3. PENGUINS!!! obviously! I can't help it and think as the years pass I may actually love these little creatures even more, and besides my pets they also have the ability to make me smile even on the most rubbish of days!

4. Baking.
There is nothing better than coming home from a stressful day than baking, at the moment I am trying to perfect my decorating skills in readiness for tackling our wedding cake for October. I guess I am basically a feeder, but people seem to like my cakes and I get the practice - what's not to love?!

 5. The Water, growing up almost a stones throw away from some of the most amazing beaches in the UK I think I was spoilt, so nothing makes me happier than being next to the sea or any body of water. I could sit for hours and am sad that
I haven't done that as much as I would have liked recently. Definitely something I intend to change.

6. Norwich, my new (or not so new) town. I have been reliably informed that you do not become a native until you have lived in Norfolk for 30 years + so having been here for a little over five years I guess I have a way to go yet!

7. My paid  job, I guess I am in a lucky position in that I really enjoy the job I do and like Peach this is in the NHS and I feel privileged that I get to play a small part in our patients recovery.

8. My unpaid (at the moment!) job, as much as I hate to admit my writing has really taken a back seat to studying and wedding planning at the moment. My first novel has been completed for some time I am just waiting to finalise the cover then make the decision on self publishing or not. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a happier person when I make time to write so I am going to have to make a conscious effort to fit more in.

9. Making things, many of the things I have been making recently I can't post on here yet as they are top secret until the wedding, but making things remind me of my Nan who is sadly no longer with us. I always remember her making something!

Hummus & avocado waffle  

10. Books/reading, I can't believe I have not put this earlier but books make me really happy, I have a kindle ap - I don't have an actual kindle. I love books too much and guess it come down to wanting to see  my book in a physical form.

Chocolate mousse waffleyloviness

11. My writing cave, it's kind of my little sanctuary, no boys allowed!

12. New York - my favourite holiday ever, and hoping to go back in the new year.
13. Dinosaurs! I haver n no idea about the why or the origin of this but I am the proud owner of a triceratops called Trevor who sits on my bookshelf in my cave.

14. Fairy lights, not just at Christmas!


15. Tea, I drink lots.

16. Noodles made from courgettes my new favourite thing.

17. The Waffle House in Norwich.


18. Music, I can totally be without a television but would be miserable without music or a radio.

19. Wagamama's enough said!

20. Spin classes (needed to balance out the food!!) is it wrong to enjoy 45 minutes of being beasted by a fitness instructor?21. Walking home in the rain.

22. Snow.

23. The fact that I graduated completing a foundation degree while working full time and actually enjoyed studying!

24. Plymouth Hoe, one of my favourite places when I go home.

25.  Ice cream.

26. Getting my nails done.

27. Lazy days off with nothing planned.

28. Being spontaneous.

29. Crazy golf (my new favourite thing!)

30. My pj's!

31. Meeting and making new friends - took me a while when moving to a new place.

32. Old friends and the fact you may not speak often but when you do it's like nothing has changed.

33. Train rides.

34. Things that are spotty and meant to be that way!

35. Crazy cousins.

36. Unexpected gifts.

37. My Dad on Facebook.

38. Knitting - when its all going to plan.

39. My obsession with Ryan Reynolds (sorry David).

40. My obsession with Sandra  Bullock (not sorry!)

41. Not having to work nightshifts anymore.

42. Brussel sprouts

43. Yoga.

44. New notebooks and my fountain pen (normally means I have found some time to write).

45. Purple.

46. My bath tub its huge!

47. Laughing so much it makes you cry.

48. Covering my grey hair (thanks to my Dad's faulty genes)

49. Cinema trips.

50. Peach Jones the  person who nominated me  for this!

Not enough coffee!

Writing...twitter (5 tweets so far...) facebook...one status update...blog entry...one in progress...actual productive writing of my novel...not a thing!!!! Cups of coffee...0    Cupcakes ...0  

A thirteen hour shift completed and after the lack of sleep and caffeine I am exhausted! Switched to peppermint tea, what was that all about?
Almost too exhausted to write but I made a commitment to myself that I would try to blog at least a little bit each day, unfortunately having spent so much time at work outside of this nothing much of any interest happened today. So instead I thought I would introduce you to Trevor...



This is Trevor, Trevor the triceratops! The reason I put a picture of him here is to remind me of a book I was introduced to by a friend called (the book, not the friend) The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. The book taught me lots of things and I think I've kind of gotten off track recently so looking at my bookcase (which is Trevor's home) I realised along with working, trying to inflict pain that I convince myself is good for me at the gym and trying to write as much as humanly possible in the time left, fun is still important.
One of the things the book taught me was to be open to new experiences and encourage my inner child (not sure much encouragement was needed not convinced I've ever really grown up!) and once a week go on a "date" by myself. Before you laugh or say I've not got time for that really thing about it, it can be as little as an hour or as much as a whole day but it is time for you to be really selfish and do something silly or inspiring in order to feed your creativity. Did it work? I'm not sure hopefully one day my novels will support the theory, but it brought Trevor into my life. Believe it or not when trying to think what I should do for my date a thought popped into my head that I'd never had my own dinosaur when I was little and I would have liked one! So off I went to the Early Learning Centre and took about 30 minutes looking at all of the various types of dinosaurs and Trevor was the result. I have to admit I had great fun and wouldn't even let the sales assistant wrap him for me and put him right into my bag instead! Still to this day I can't help smiling when I see him on my bookcase, so perhaps its time to resurrect my weekly dates to see if they can inspire me further?! Who knows...