Sound of Music inspired.. a few of my favourite things!

We watched The Sound of Music last week & my daughter hadn't seen it properly before so it was lovely. Of course the songs are total classics & I keep singing "raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens".

I'm still managing to be pretty positive despite feeling like I've been trampled on by a herd of elephants every day!! See my previous post here.

So, as inspired by Julie Andrews in the film, I thought I'd mention a few of my favourite things...

Hearing my little girl laughing has to be up there at the top. Children's laugher is such a fab sound & my girlie's giggle hasn't changed since she was a baby. Everyone always says what an infectious laugh she has & it's true. A few weekends ago we had snow & she loved it. She thought throwing snowballs up at me in my bedroom & splatting them onto the window was hilarious! I managed to get a good action shot photo of her laughing. It makes me smile so much.

Fresh flowers always make me smile. I would have a whole house full of them if I could! I sometimes buy myself a bunch of something pretty but receiving them from other people is even better. My lovely friend Katie sent me a surprise bouquet last week from Bloom & Wild who do beautiful letterbox flowers. They came wrapped so well with little nets over the buds to protect them & they look so nice. Over a week later they have all opened & they are still going strong!

Sunshine. Not only do I really love the sun but it is also my nickname for my daughter. I say that she is my sunshine on cloudy days! I love nothing more though than sitting with the sun on my face, a nice blue sky & an ice cold drink in my hand. I have a new cloud hair clip from Crown & Glory which we got in the last subscription box & I've actually stuck it on the wall near my bed as it makes me think of my girl.

Happy notes make me exactly that. I love writing little notes, letters or cards for people. I am always leaving them in the house for my daughter & she now leaves them for me too which is just the cutest thing. I have been putting them in a scrapbook that my friend Sian got me for Christmas & I love looking at them. I'm one big sentimental softie!

Music. I don't have any particular type that I prefer, it just depends what mood I am in. I really love stuff that reminds me of being young (er!) & songs that spark memories. I sometimes just sit listening to the radio for ages but I do tend to prefer older stuff than more modern. I think music is amazing as it just makes you forget everything for a while & it can make me feel so happy (or sad) which has to be a good thing.

Glitter is an obvious one for anyone who knows me! I am obsessed with the stuff in absolutely any form & I am just drawn to it. People always send me glittery cards & gifts which is the best.. I know I'll never grow out of my love for all things sparkly!

The sound of rain but not particularly the feel of it or what it does to my hair!! I love being inside & listening to it bouncing off the conservatory roof. Strangely relaxing.


Pineapple themed stuff seems to have become a bit of a problem for me!  have no idea when it started but I am just drawn to all things pineapple... I'm not an overly huge fan of the fruit itself so I really can't explain it. People now buy me pineapple stuff (as well as glittery!) & my friend Emma got me a fab sparkly one for Christmas which I absolutely love! I recently found a top in the sales online with a pineapple shape cut out at the back & I have a few vest tops with them on as well as various other bits. Yep I'm obsessed...

The Michalaks on YouTube are so lovely to watch. They make family video diaries & upload a new one every Sunday. I find them so relaxing to watch & they are such a lovely, funny, genuine family. The vlogs are so well edited & I recommend them to everyone. I am actually going to publish this post & put their latest video on. It's my favourite part of Sundays!

Crisps are my absolute downfall. I am quite happy not having sweet stuff but I just cannot cope without crisps! Walkers are my favourite, especially cheese & onion flavour, so can you imagine how I felt when I won a SACK OF WALKERS CRISPS!!! Yes, a whole sack full. It was a competition on Twitter before Christmas & they recently arrived. I am not sure I've ever been so happy. I haven't had to buy any in weeks & I gave a fair few away too. Woo hoo!

So for future reference, buy me anything glittery, with pineapples on or crisps and I'll love you forever!!!!!

I could probably go on and on but I shall stop here! These are just a few of my favourite things but I have lots more. Remember that even though it might not feel like it, there is usually something positive in every day. Even if it's a really small thing. I have been writing a line in a diary each night with something happy from the day so I can look back on my worst days & remember them. Chronic illness is rubbish but try to find the little things that make you smile if you can. As Buddy the Elf says "Smiling's my favourite"!

I'd love to know some of your favourite things?


Ali
xx

People!

That old saying "there's nowt as queer as folk" is so true. People can be funny old creatures can't they.. there is good and bad in everything but recently I've been thinking a lot about people in general.

Some people are the most amazing, kind & thoughtful beings. They are your rocks & you know you couldn't get through without them. People who put you before they put themselves and who despite having their own problems, are always there for you no matter what. They make you laugh. They make you cry (happy tears are ok!). They do little things that make a huge difference to your day. They are completely selfless & genuinely care. You can't ever imagine those people not being in your life. You don't want them to ever not be.

Other people unfortunately aren't so fabulous. They probably think they are though. Some people can be very selfish but then that's life I suppose. Then you get the ones who don't really care. They might make out they do when in actual fact they don't really. As hard as it is, c'est la vie!

Then you get people who are pretty much strangers yet they show so much kindness towards you. How does that even work? People you don't really know can sometimes be a thousand times more thoughtful than those you do. Another one of life's mysteries!

Throughout childhood, school, college & university if you go, in the workplace, socially and right through to adulthood, you will come across so many different people. Some of those people will be a part of your life forever. Some will impact on you massively but they won't always be around. Some you hope to always be there but for whatever reason it doesn't always happen. Some may be around but won't always make you feel happy. Some will make you happy just by you knowing they are in your life somehow.

Even though my daughter is such a little person, I see how much people influence her. Other children have a huge impact on her & we all know how funny kids are but they can also be mean. It breaks my heart seeing her upset sometimes but it's all a learning curve for what life will throw at you. People can be mean whatever age you are!

I suppose I'm just very grateful for the people in my life who make me smile, who think of me & who care. The people who are just there. Whether I've known them for 1 day or 30 years it doesn't matter. For every not so fabulous person there are a whole load of amazing ones.

If you're reading this & you know you're one of my rocks then thank you & I love you.

Image source verybestquotes.com 

Ali
xx

So long 2015

Here we are again.  Another year done. Can you actually believe it?

I'd love to say how much better I was but the truth is I'm not. M.E is a permanent fixture in my life & isn't going anywhere soon. It took me a lot of years to accept that & every New Year's Eve for a long time I would be full of hope that the following year would be the one when I'd get better. Full of hope for getting my life back. Full of hope full stop.

But now instead of dwelling on the things I haven't done or can't do, I am focusing on the things I have & I can. When you're chronically ill, you can feel as though your life passes you by & that you spend the majority of the time resting or generally feeling poorly, but there are lots of things we DO achieve & should be proud of. And there are many happy memories made in the process.

It's nearly time to open my memory box again - see last year's post about it here - & I will be doing it again next year. It's something nice to look back on at the end of the year & smile at the happy stuff that happened. Things that non-poorly people would likely take for granted & not consider a big deal are a big deal to us. A lot of the stuff in my box is to do with my little girl so I can't wait to read them with her. At her request we are having a party tonight (which according to her means she can eat lots of sweets & chocolate!!) so we will open it then.

2015 has been full of ups and downs but there have been lots of things that make me realise I am lucky. Yes things could be better, but I've also managed to do some fab stuff for which I am very grateful. I've picked out some of the memorable ones & they all make me smile but there are lots more too. Pictures are amazing for creating memories too & probably the reason I take so many! So in 2015...

I went to my first vintage fair & loved it

We went to Harewood House where we have membership but I don't often get there so it's extra special when I do

My girlie turned 6

I met up with Sian, one of my fab spoonie friends & we pretended to drink cocktails

I spent lots of sunny days in the garden

I had a lovely birthday & was very spoilt

I got a new camera

We had another successful M.E Princess fundraiser

I changed my hair colour

We baked

We had a lovely holiday in Majorca

We had a fun trip to Sheffield to stay with friends we met on holiday

We had fun with Autumn leaves

We went to Stockeld Park & I ice-skated on my wheels

I had a lovely spa day with my sister for her birthday

I turned the house festive

I am staying positive & am looking forward to doing more happy stuff in 2016. I've already booked to go & see my bestie in Essex and I have one of my oldest friend's wedding in October. My close friend is having a baby in March & I'm so excited! There are people I want to see more of & other spoonie friends I've met online who I want to meet for the first time so we shall see what the year brings in terms of fun! I have also decided I am going to use one of my new diaries to write something positive every day. So again I can look back & realise there are good things in each day even though it doesn't often feel like it.

Finally before I go, I want to do a quick shoutout to everyone who has been there for me this year. Whether it's to be there when I've been down or to make me belly laugh just because. And despite me having my illness, friends & family who have included me in stuff or asked me to do things even if I've not been able, I really appreciate it. I love you all!

Happy new year!

Love Ali 
xx

Crown & Glory Glitterati unboxing December 2015

You know the drill by now. The beginning of the month is Glitterati time! For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, it's a monthly subscription box full of hair accessories from Crown & Glory. See previous posts here & here for more details.

I can't believe we're in December & that it's almost the end of the year. How on earth did that happen?

So December's box arrived & I was hoping for some sparkle.  Sparkle is exactly what we got!!

I don't want to ramble too much so will just get on with what was in the box..

Sneaky peek!

We had a fancy new vine this time & I love it! 

Designed by Veronica Dearly

Reindeer name headband.

RRP £25

(There were all the different reindeer names including 1 very special Rudolph!)

Art deco inspired gem encrusted comb

RRP £8

Glitter rose clip

RRP £3

Ombre glitter bobby pins

RRP £3

Star tinsel headband

RRP £15

A really festive, sparkly, feel-good factor box! I I had been eyeing up the bobby pins for a while & I had spotted the glitter roses recently, which are also available in silver, so may have to purchase one of those too...

I have really enjoyed the Glitterati boxes throughout 2015 & can't wait to see what 2016 brings. As always, big thanks to the fab girls in the secret group & to Sophie and Gareth for creating such an amazing place full of fabulous, sparkly ladies.

Happy Christmas!

Ali
xx