2015 Resoultions

1. Stop Eating Crap and Move My Arse

Bit of a stereotypical one to start with, I know - sorry!

Healthy living has never been one of my strong points. My diet basically consists of brown and yellow foods... and that is it. I massively over salt everything and can barely go any hour without a sugar fix. Anything that can be classed as remotely healthy just does not do it for me, and so is avoided at all costs. But I'm not a student anymore! As I'm getting older, I just can't get away with it like I used to. My skin is dull, I have permanent dark circles under my eyes, and my hair and nails are brittle. I just look unhealthy, and if that's on the outside I dread to think what my insides look like. No matter how hard it will be (any tips anyone?!), in the new year I definitely need to make an effort to eat more consciously.

As for exercise, when I was at university I was pretty good at hitting the gym regularly. I loved the adrenaline rush you get after a good workout and didn't mind getting the joggers on. Then I started working full time. And despite having a free gym in my building, after work I just cannot find it in me to drag my ass off the sofa and hit it. This needs to change, I need to get back into a good routine. It is embarrassing getting out of breath walking up a flight of stairs.

(Plus, I am going skiing in about a month and a half and need to get some thunder into my thighs before I hit the slopes. I can get fit for then, right?!)

2.  Improve my Socializing

(Perhaps this isn't a great heading. I'm not bad at socializing, I'm pretty good at socializing. Maybe I should say more meaningful socializing? More satisfying friendships? Anyways...)

I have been living in London for about a year and a half now and I have been lucky enough to make some great friends.

Aside from my work lot, all my friends are individuals who I manage to see about once or twice a month. We meet after work or at the weekend, usually for out for dinner and a drink somewhere (which does hinder goal #1!) and it is lush. But, because of our busy lives, different work schedules and living in different parts of London, it really is harder to meet up any more regularly than that. And, as someone who finds it quite hard to fully open up, I need more time to be able to develop close relationships with people. And I need that, I've always been more of a few really good friends person than a lots of kinda friends person. So not really having that in London can make me feel quite lonely at times.

At home, I have my group of forever friends. We have been best friends since nursery, we know everything about each other, and have been through everything together. I love to go out with them and dance the night away, or just get together at someone house in our comfy clothes with a takeaway and some wine, having a good old chat, putting the world to rights.

I miss that when I'm in London.

For 2015, I am going to put more time and effort into developing my friendships here. Open up more and do different things with my friends. Meet new people and get a good old group of us together. I already can't wait!

 

3. Sort My Life Out ! (Stop being late for everything and leaving everything last minute)

In 2015 I am going to sort my life out.

Literally sort. I have bought a pretty new Filofax and I am on the hunt for a lovely calendar I can hang next to my bed (my most frequented spot).

I am not going to post everyone's birthday card after their birthdays like I did in 2014, kicking myself every time I did. I am not going to buy their birthday presents on my way to meet them. I am not going to forget the birthday of anyone I care about.

I am not going to attend all of my French classes late, because I was doing my homework on the way to the lesson.

I am not going to turn up to work all hot and bothered and sweaty because I have had to run to work to make it on time. I am not going to put everything off until the day before my deadline. My notes are going to be neat and in one place, preferable in a note pad, and not on scraps of paper and post-its scattered around my desk.

After a year and a half in London, I am finally going to register my new address with my bank, credit card and with Specsavers to save my Mam having to forward everything to me, including big boxes of contact lenses and solution. I am going to finally enter in our gas and electricity meter readings online, and pray that we don't own the company crap loads of money. I am going to sign up / register (whatever it is you do) to the electoral register thingy.

Wish me luck - I am going to need it

x

I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas Eve.

I have been spending mine wrapping presents, reading Harry Potter and watching Arthur Christmas with the family.

Mam is busy setting the table for Christmas dinner, dad is preparing the veg and in about an hour or so we will be popping to my Grans house to meet all the family for some mulled wine and present exchanging. Then, off to our church for the Midnight Christmas service.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

X

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'Tis The Season

Now we are officially in December, nobody (not even the Grinchy-est among us), can deny that the Christmas season is finally here!

It is the season of plenty. Plenty of parties, plenty of food, plenty of wine, and plenty of shopping !

I have a somewhat love/hate relationship with Christmas shopping. I love being able to treat my family and friends, but I also find it difficult because I want to get something that they are going to really like. Something they will genuinely be happy to open, that they wouldn't buy for themselves and that I know they will make good use of.

And these day's that is difficult. Most of us are lucky enough to have everything we need and we don't really want for a lot either. Therefore, we buy each other gifts that whilst thoughtful and of course appreciated, are a little bit wasted. Does my dad really need another tie? Is my brother going to get excited opening his 5th T-shirt of the morning? Will my mam get a fuzzy feeling over that scented candle? Probably not.

I don't want to get all preachy, you know what I mean! It's great being able to treat each other and show that we care.

Basically, what I am trying to tell you about is a brilliant website I came across, that offers an alternative type of present we can give to our loved ones. Or as a way to give to those less fortunate than us at a time of year that we are all so fortunate.

Goodgifts.org

There is a massive range of gifts that you can choose to give. Whatever your budget and whatever you are interested in, there is a gift you will want to buy.

There are 'Little Good Gifts' ranging from warm blankets for chilly grannies, to pajamas and a teddy for children in a women's refuge, to a malaria net for a family in Africa.

If you are feeling very generous, there are also 'Gigantic Good Gifts' which include the options of building a library in India, saving Britain's greenbelt or funding a seaside holiday for a hard-pressed family of four.

When you buy a Good Gift, the money you spend will buy the actual gift you have chosen, so you know exactly where your money is going. With every Gift bought, you will receive a card describing the gift, or for the Christmas season, you can instead choose the cracker pack in which to insert the description of the gift.

It's such a good idea ! You need check it out. I have already purchased a few for my loved ones and it feels great. I know they will love them.

What Good Gifts are you going to give this year?

Why Do Babies Cry?

So, this is the conclusion my friend and I came to when discussing evolution and babies and why babies cry. We are very proud of our ground breaking, scientific discovery. We feel we have solved one of the world’s mysteries – why do babies cry so damn much! And yes, this is a totally normal conversation for two twenty-somethings to be having on a Friday night. 

Babies cry so that the cave-people had to do something to shut them up!

Think about it. You live in a cave. It’s dark, it’s cold, you’re hungry, there are wild beasts outside your door who are also hungry and trying to make a meal out of you. Every day is a tough day. And then, out of the blue some day you and your cave-mates suddenly also have this tiny little squirmy thing appear from the insides of one of the cave-ladies. (The previous generation of parents have probably been long eaten by some beastie or another by this point, so the arrival of the little thing is somewhat of a surprise).

It can’t feed itself, it can’t clean itself up or provide shelter for itself. The cave-people have to do it. But when every day is a struggle as it is, why would take on this additional burden of looking after this strange, tiny creature?

Answer: because it cries. It makes such a bloody hell of a racket, which is mega annoying, and the only way to stop it making said racket is to feed it. Or wash it. Or shelter it. And hence the baby survives and passes on the crying gene to future babies!

Meanwhile, all the quiet babies have been forgotten about because its dark and you’re in a cave and they are small and there is no reason to give it some of your yummy food or cosy warmth. So the quiet baby gene dies out.

And there we have it. Evolution through persistent annoyance.

What do you think? What are your theories?

We are very smart.