Big girl turns 7 and our new arrivals!

It doesn't seem two minutes since I wrote this post about my little girl turning 6 last year. Time really does go fast! Now all of a sudden she's 7 and I can't get my head around it. Although she's 7 going on 17 some days..

Asking your children what they want for their birthday it is a bit of a silly question really as they often want everything they've seen their friends with, various things they have seen advertised on the TV & anything else they can think of! However this year all little Miss wanted was an electric pencil sharpener!!! She was "bursting" for one apparently. There is also something called Action Cam which is a kids' version of a Go Pro and she had been wanting to spend her pocket money on but we told her to wait until after her birthday! Of course she was delighted. We got her some other bits too but she was most overjoyed when she saw the pencil sharpener.. "WOW IT LIGHTS UP TOO"!!

One of the qualities I love about her is that she really appreciates everything so much and sat reading all her cards word for word which was lovely. She opened our card before any of her presents and came over to hug us after saying thank you. Proud mummy moment indeed.

She got so many gorgeous things (thank you if you're reading this and you gave her something!). One lucky little 7 year old.

The other thing she had been wanting for a long time was a pet. Guinea pig/s to be precise. After a lot of research and deliberation we decided we would get some. I made some phone calls and we decided on a local pet shop that has a very good reputation with animals.  They were really helpful on the phone and didn't seem to mind my many questions!

We went along to the shop and fell for a pair of 6 month old brothers. So I am very pleased to introduce our new members of the family...

Marmalade is the gingery one and Bubble is the grey one. They are Abyssinian cross breed and absolutely adorable. They were quite shy and a bit nervous at first but we have all got used to each other now and they are just lovely. I now have someone to talk to when I am in the house on my own as oppose to talking to myself (joking!) and I seem to have officially become a crazy fur baby lady :-D

They have a big play pen for during the day and they don't do a great deal more than eat and sleep. They have their mad moments when they have bursts of energy. I was thinking how similar I am to them other than the energy part!! It is encouraging me to spend more time downstairs than in bed which has to be a good thing. Obviously getting any pet is a big commitment but I'm so pleased we did. They make me feel like we've got a new baby in the house! As someone who has a chronic illness I can safely say a pet would bring you much happiness :-)

I am currently sat listening to them purring to each other whilst planning some stuff for our annual Team Princess fundraiser. I will be announcing details of the charity I've chosen very soon.

Who knew guinea pigs even purred?!!


Ali
xx

Gratitude

Do you ever look around at all the things you have or the things you can do and feel truly grateful or do you not give it a second thought? Perhaps once you are faced with a situation you have no control over, when you have the things you always took for granted taken away, then you realise how lucky you are. Or were.

Having a chronic illness changed me in some ways. I don't think I realised how lucky I was before I got poorly. All the little things that you take for granted. Every day things. Stuff that you would never give a second thought to until you can no longer do it. Getting up in the morning and feeling ready to face the day after a splash of water on your face. Popping out to the shop for a chocolate bar. Running for a bus (as annoying as it was at the time). Just having the ability to do those things is pretty huge.

Along with all the little things, there are some pretty big things too which I would never in a million years have imagined I wouldn't be able to do. Being able to walk was something I would have never thought would be taken away from me. I was so independent & suddenly I couldn't do it without suffering severe pain or feeling as though I would collapse. There are lots of things I am unable to do anymore but it's made me super grateful for the things I can do or that I have.

Little things become big things when you're ill. I have talked about this before but it's so true. Your world gets smaller & everyone else just carries on living while you are stuck in a ball of existence. Your days are long. Your pain and fatigue is persistent. So little things really do make a huge difference.

Fresh flowers, sunshine, laughter.

Getting a nice message from someone or a card in the post can literally make your day. Knowing someone has thought of you is something to be very grateful for. I have a scrapbook which my friend Sian got me for Christmas & it is full of little things that have made me smile. Letters, cards, notes and just "stuff". I sometimes look through it when I need to smile. It works!

I am so grateful, possibly more than anything, for my gorgeous girl. She makes me smile every day and I would be pretty lost without her. She gives me purpose. She gives amazing cuddles. She sings me songs. She draws me pictures. She reads to me when I'm not well enough to. She makes me feel lucky for being her mum.

I am grateful that I have comfortable places to rest. For my electric heatpad, which is never off me! For having food when I need it. I bought some stuff for the local Foodbank this week & I wish more people would do it as there are people who can't even afford a pint of milk. In this day and age it's shocking.

So look around you and think of all the stuff you have. The stuff you can do. Feel truly grateful for it. So many people don't have those things. Health and happiness should be something everybody has but they don't. Life can be so cruel & it's very unfair. Hug those close to you, spare a thought for others less fortunate than you and just appreciate :-)



Ali
xx

Spreading a little bit of happiness

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a switch on our bodies so that on bad days we could just say NO & make it stop!

It's been a very poorly week for me with the M.E & I've been pretty much bedbound. I know it's because I dared to do something fun.. Payback is never nice when you have a chronic illness, but it's slightly easier when you have something to show for it. If you read my previous post you will know I was going to a party with some of the Crown & Glory Glitterati girls. (The Glitterati is a montly subscription box of hair accessories for those of you who are not familiar with it)! It was a Mad Hatter's tea party to be precise & it was really lovely. I am so glad I made it & finally meeting Sophie & Gareth, as well as the lovely ladies was great. My little Miss took a shine to them both!

We were treated with delicious afternoon tea, bubbles & the most amazing goodie bags which seemed to have an endless amount of stuff in them!! There were things from some of my favourite independent businesses, as well as a special piece of Crown & Glory, so I was very chuffed. Sophie even gave my girlie a goodie bag & she was (& still is) super grateful :-)

Big thanks also to my fab friend Sian who made me some brilliant accessories to go with the Alice in Wonderland theme. I absolutely love them & had lots of comments about them so thank you sweetie!

I won't go on too much about how bad I've been as I am still trying to stay positive. My positivity did waver during the week for the first time this year but I always find that happens when mega bad days (as oppose to the usual bad ones!!) go on & on. I have started on some supplements - Q10 g Vitamin B12 - so will see how they help. I'm feeling more sparkly again now & am just taking each day at a time.

I thought I would share a few of my favourite quotes as I do love a good positive affirmation & have various ones dotted around the house. I've just put a hanging frame thing up in the conservatory with some postcards I got from Lucky Dip Club which makes me smile lots.

So I'll leave you with these...

"Don't let anyone ever dull your sparkle"

"A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear"

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if you only remember to turn on the light"

"It may be stormy now but it never rains forever"

"Enjoy the little things in life as one day you will look back & realise they were the big things"

"When it rains look for rainbows & when it's dark look for stars"

"The butterfly is proof that something beautiful can emerge from something completely falling apart"

"The best people are those whose tutus are a little twisted" (this might be the best one!)

Keep smiling :-)


Ali 
xx

Crown and Glory Glitterati unboxing February 2016

Each month, the arrival of our Crown & Glory Glitterati boxes seems to come around so quickly! The anticipation & excitement of what's in the box never goes away.

So without further ado, here is February's fantastic box. It was a rockabilly twist on the Valentines month, inspired by pin-up culture, mods & the late Amy Winehouse.

There were two different coloured boxes this time. Pink was Love themed & black was Hate, with the same items but in different colours. I got the pink one & I really do LOVE it!

In our boxes were:

Glitter scroll heart headband

RRP £20

Lips print bow headband

RRP £15

Cherry hair clip

RRP £5

Cupid's arrow barrette

RRP £5

Velvet rose hairclip

RRP £6

A gorgeous box & I know I'll be wearing it all lots.

I really don't know how Sophie & Gareth come up with such amazing ideas each month. I also had a little giggle earlier at how much Crown & Glory stuff I have. To say I never really wore stuff in my hair until I discovered this amazing secret group is hilarious. I don't feel right without it now!

I wore the lips print headband last week & within about half an hour I had been complimented 3 times on it :-)

There have been a few Glitterati parties already but I've not been able to make any of them, however next weekend I am actually going to the Manchester one & I am super excited. It's a Mad Hatter's tea party & I can't wait to get dolled up and meet some of my fellow glitter loving girls (& Gareth!). I will likely dedicate a whole post to it so watch this space!!



Ali
xx