I thought that I would never be married at one point as I went through the phase of not believing in it and thought it was just a piece of paper and I never had a lot of boyfriends in my teens and twenties didn’t really want to be with anyone, but felt I should, to keep up with others who had boyfriends but realised no, I living by their means and not my own. I just enjoyed my Youth and in 2002 I made a decision that I needed to follow my dream in working at a holiday camp. I wanted to be a red coat, but it didn’t happen, because I met my husband and in 2006 got married and then in 2013 I fell pregnant.
Me and my son
Life is full of surprises, because when I first applied to work at a holiday camp was turned down and didn’t get further in the process of actually being employed and so it took two years, and so was a surprise that my second year of trying, I was successful and I was home sick, for the first two weeks but then stayed down there, for about 5 years. I never became a red coat, and part of me is sad about that, but it still was a life changing experience.
Be prepared for surprises by setting goals and when you want to achieve them. Back in 2013 my son was born premature and it was a shock. A week or so before reading a mother and baby magazine, I saw an article about premature births and ignored it, thinking “I didn’t need to read that” and wished I had.
When working at a call center there was a colleague who was a web designer and feel bad because I was unkind because I was jealous of her that she went on to be a Senior Agent and I didn’t, but it made me make changes to my life when I read a book, called The WAGS Diary and started writing a blog. I am not a WAG by the way and would be fully surprised if that ever happened. I like to watch football but on the TV or if I fancy going to see a football match, but not looking to date a footballer. No offence to those who do.
Back in 1990 after not really bothered about football I began to play in the school playground, as the other girls in my class were and so “If you can’t beat them join them” and cried for two hours after England got beat by West Germany in a penalty shoot out. Overnight became a full on football fan and fell in love with it and I changed my image, from being a girlie girl to a tom boy.
I had changed from wanting to be a singer to wanting to become, not a player but a coach and created this character in my head called Sherie, from a girl I used to go to school with, and be the first woman in a men’s team and later in 2012 I did my FA Coaching badge and ended up managing a football team, at youth level, and coached girls and boys team.
This is surprising myself that if I want something then I can get it but I have to do for myself and not rely on others, and standing on my own too feet. I fell in love with rugby league, with a friend who knew I liked sport, and followed the team for 8 years, and then stopped to work at a holiday camp.
Going through that really surprises me, as it felt such a long way off, for all those things happening, so follow your dreams as you will be surprised of what you can do in your life that will surprise you each and everyday, of your life.
I hope you have had a good easter so far, my mum is hosting an Easter Egg hunt today, so spending time with family and I will be planning activities and trips to different places for the holidays and will be posting more and I do film vlogs. Please check out my Youtube channel: Typical London gal: https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal
Hello and happy new year! It is so good that I have a better laptop because my other one was causing so many problems that it really was making me feel frustrated, but stuck with it and my mum got me a new one and so thankful.
I no longer set resolutions but life changes, and so I managing my mind to make sure I feel calm and if there are challenges by not dwelling on them. I would over analyse everything and that something must have happened for a reason, and would drive myself mad.
It can be draining, like I was watching a live Instagram post, and typed a comment on the live but when I read it back, it didn’t say what I wanted and so I was like, “I hope he doesn’t think I was being rude”, so now I read back what I have written before posting. How many of you have done that? Or texting to the wrong person, or found your phone calling an emergency number?
I hope it isn’t just me?
So, I learn to reflect and learn from it.
It is changing your thought process, and realise that you are only human. So getting out of my head, journal which always helps me and think okay next time I will make sure I check my text and put my phone on lock so if is accidentally sit on it, its not calling anyone.
If you’d like to share your life changes for 2024 then please leave a comment below.
Happy new year everyone. I have no plans for New years, so not sure if I will be posting or not, so getting ahead, and it has been a good year for me. Still a few days left, so a few things I want to do before the end of the year, but pleased with how I have been building my life, and that was my word for this year, “Building” and my Youtube channels have grown, by blogs have more followers and got likes, and the same with my social media.
My son changed schools, and has settled in well and making improvements in his learning. Check out my parenting blogs:
I enjoyed doing my Autumn Reset, my Life Coaching programme, “Summer Project 2023”, and this will continue on in 2024, dates TBC. I need to decide on videos, for my Life Coaching videos for it, and where I will publish them. I loved the walks me and my son went on and visiting Shepperton. It was so nice and would like to next time walk along the Canal.
Image I took when travelling on Uber Boat, from North Greenwich to Putney.
It was sad about Terry Venables, Kirstie Alley and Len Goodman, and many stars died, like Olivia Newton John, and Matthew Perry. So, so sad.
It reminds me that no one is invisible and you have to live your life where you can smile and enjoy.
We went, my family and I went to more shows, that I wanted to do, like saw Hamilton in the Apollo Theatre in London Victoria, for my birthday and was really good, went to Pub in the park, in Wimbledon Park, and saw Gabrielle, went to see Blippi, a children’s character who was at The Rose in Kingston, and Zog and got more shows to come. I love the London for its shows and going to see more in 2024 and took Henry to the Cinema for the first time, to see Dungeons and Dragons, and was good to see and would recommend it.
I am creating a printable and have more ideas for my content to come, so if you want to be the first to know when I put this up, then follow me and everytime I blog you will be notified.
I started to plan my goals for 2024 this week, and getting ready to kick start the new year, and see what I can accomplish. I have already set my financial goals, and now starting my Personal/Home goals, and then set work goals and then play.
However set your goals that suit you, as everyone has different things going on in their lives so it isn’t one size fits all. I find some goals over lap, with other goals like Financial goals, example, Pay off debt could be in Financial and Personal/Home goals, along with fitness goals.
So, first of all I like to reflect on the previous year, before getting myself ready for the new year and putting a printable together to help you, and then start planning for the new year.
I use a notepad and OneNote, and set yearly goals and Quarterly goals, and separate them, and also do a vision board on Pinterest, and want to do one using Canva. I have already started on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/thetypicalLondongal/vision-board-2024/
I like to set goals for my son and things I’d like for him to do, like for example he has a bike for Christmas and want to take him to a cycle park, and get confident in riding his bike, and he wants to use a Tennis court to play tennis, and so, this I would like to put into home. Then there Play where I want to take him to different places on the train, and he actually wants to be a train. Yes we have had many discussions, about this and not sure, it is being heard as my son is very determined, and not getting that he does have wheels or several doors, but I am sure that he will grow out of thinking that he and ride on the train tracks, and can work on the trains.
Then there is work. So it could be, getting a pay rise and work more hours, or less, and have a side hustle, and want to build your career and profession. If you like me, write blogs and books, then it could be write a new book, or complete a book, or do some writing everyday and create it, into a book and get it published. I love creating stories and have many books that I have started, but not continued, and once one ideas comes into my head, so does another, and then it could, doing Voluntary work, or changing careers. It is all about how it makes you feel. If it excites you, then do it, and yes, you can get self doubt, but if it gives you a buzz, I say go for it.
If you’d like to check out my current books, then go to amazon, and look under my names, Carrie Challoner and Carrie Holmes.
So, lets enjoy the rest of 2023, and be ready for 2024.
HI all it is another newsletter for 2023 my final one for this year, and so I hope you enjoy reading it and what I have plans for, and more blogs and other content coming soon. Check it out here:
It is less than a month away until we reach a 2024, but I am not finished with 2023, and making sure I end the year being thankful and reflect on it, and go over the wins and the non wins and let go of the year, by setting new goals, implement new habits that will help me to grow, and make some more Life Changes, that will build my life up more, and setting myself challenges.
This picture was from when my son, step dad and mum travelled on UberBoat from Canary Wharf to Putney. We’d been to North Greenwich and would love to do this again, and enjoyed exploring my city London and these highlights made my year for me, along with shows I went to and making the most of the things I have around me, and being thankful for 2023, for these wonderful memories that I will look back on with a smile.
I remember my dad used to hate New Years eve, and I even after all these years, and my dad no longer alive, not sure why, but speaking of myself I often felt emotional about it. I felt fear, and all that I hoped for didn’t happen and let myself down. Yet now I feel excited and thankful for the years I have lived.
Looking at 2023, I created another book, that I hope will be published in the New year, and my Youtube channels have been building, please check them out.
I received more subscribers and followers on my blog sites, along with my Instagram, and on Facebook, and got my energy back and not spending too long on my computer and moving. I love going for walks with my son and spending time going to shows and exploring, by going for walks in the morning and indoor workouts in the afternoon and sleeping well, which I have always had trouble with.
It is making simple changes. I know longer have my phone by my bedside when it is bed time, not spending too much time on my laptop, and will use my laptop, when my son has gone to school, and gone for a walk in the morning, and put my phone on silent and get dressed as soon as I get up. Only drinking alcohol at weekends, but even the weekends I won’t have a drink, it depends on what I feel like having and love a cup of tea, and still want to work on my diet and continue getting fit, but reflectoing and going through of what I want to do next, and what I want to let go of.
I want to close this year off as it started on a good note, and got things to look forward too. Like my next book finished, and started to continue writing another book, and going to a birthday party in Bognor and off to see Bruch Springsteen, and the next will be choosing what fundraising walks I want to do, as I really miss doing these, so gonna get back to walking and use it to make a difference to other peoples lives and going to donate cash or products to my local foodbanks. Gonna continue writing to work on content for the new year, and get ready for my Life Coaching programme, “Summer Project 2024”. This is what I created a few years ago, and was very well received, and help you to have a better life and better year.
If you like a comical book, then check out my book Mum&Me and going to be working book 2, and so many writing projects to come, and have a good year, no matter what challenges arise and have plenty to enjoy.
Since a kid I have loved donating to others and when we had a fete on the housing estate I lived in Hammersmith, I would donate clothes for the jumble sale they had, and loved giving to good causes.
I would watch and donate to Children in Need and Comic Relief and now I want t help out in food banks and donate food and would like to do a monthly haul to give away to a local food bank, to feed families in the UK and the other countries and make a real difference.
Or donate money to them to help feed families and homes, that can’t afford groceries in supermarkets as the prices increase. How is somebody able to live when everything is going up and increasing.? More should be done.
Next year I am going to do walks again for Charity and raise money for good causes. I loved doing this and helps me get fit and grow myself, so why not join me. If you have tips on fundrsaising then please comment below, I love sharing knowledge to help give support and build a community that gives us all a boost to live our lives the best we can and make a difference.
I am gong to begin by buying food that someone can have for at Christmas and be able to buy a contribute in having a Christmas meal or things like Mince Pies and tinned vegetables and something that have long shelf life, and still celebrate, rather than just having whatever meal they have, to feed their family and donate things like Crackers and Puddings, and just making sure they can still enjoy the seasion, and buy a gift to donate for chilidren that may not have one, because of their parents not able to buy them a gift, and often the Supermarkets will have a Christmas appeal to help feed families, So check them out.
So, lets give and change the world and its poverty.
Yes it is that time now where I share my monthly newsletter of what is coming up and share tips on various things and this month is all about getting ready for Christmas.