24 Monday Mar 2025
Tags
everyone can build a castle, free printable, happiness and wellbeing, Personal Development, weekly post
Hello! It is the start of a new week and today I have been updating my google calendar and lists on Notion, getting tasks that are Overdue. This weeks Cheat Sheet is tips on Having a Fresh Start to having a Reset.
They are free to download and print. If you’d like to be notified of when I post on this site then you can do so my subscribing.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
21 Friday Feb 2025
Tags
changing what you see, developing self belief, making changes to your life, personal wellbeing, Self development
If you had a mirror where you would picture your life what would you see? What would it say to you or show?
Would it make you feel happy or sad? There was a time I hated my own reflection. I wouldn’t try on clothes in a fitting room. When I was at school we didn’t have cubicles but one big changing room and would feel so uncomfortable. The same at Primary school and would get remarks from my fellow pupils. I hated having boobs. I was not ready for teenage hood. Mother nature decided it was time for me to form early and I didn’t like it.
I do write a blog about Self Confidence: https://mydailythougthsandfeelings.blogspot.com/2025/01/how-friday-nights-have-changed.html
Now I am comfortable in looking the mirror and see someone who has lived and got plenty to give. It has taken a lot to see myself in a positive light and my life too. I loved going to dancing school as a kid. Now, I like that I can share my life. I found growing up daunting, because the way you looked mattered. I didn’t want to be trendy. I wanted to be happy with what I saw. So I began to get fit and take on challenges like running and walking events. This made me see, what I was capable of and feel proud of myself.
What challenges would you undertake? What changes would you do, to feel good when looking in the mirror and be proud of yourself and write down how you feel.
I was fed up with giving myself such a hard time. I had to change my mindset. Being healthy is what I need, not a hourglass figure. All bodies are beautiful. I remember going to rugby. There was a guy who I didn’t like the look of. When I learned he had a heart of gold, I realized I was being unkind. Since he was nice and was a good laugh, that was important. So, I worked on my own stereotypical mind.
We have kept in touch via social media. I have not heard from him for a while. Yet, it also taught me that men and women can be friends without it ending in romance. I have male and female friends and I love my friends and my family. They have been my teachers of life and am grateful of those I have met and still in contact with.
Being a good friend, mother, sister, daughter, and aunt is important. I love watching my nieces and my son grow. My son got an award at school. We went to a Christmas Event at his school last year. We also went to see an art exhibition he did at school. This year, he will be going to his third Residential trip.
I am enjoying my life with my son, friends, and family. This is something I would like to see in a mirror. I have got back into walking and joined Parkrun. I am registered to do Race For Life. I am working on radio now and have fully recovered from my Mental Health Battle. I am writing more books and blogs and expanding my Youtube channels. I enjoying meeting people and about other peoples lives and what they have gone through.
So now spend some time considering this question. What would you see if you were able to see your life in the mirror?
What does the future look like? Who is in this image and what do you look like? Are they your dreams or goals?
There is more I want out of my life. Keep your goals to yourself. As Terri Savelle Foy says, what you do behind the scenes has a bigger impact. You don’t have to tell the world just yet. Just follow your heart and mind to help your self-belief. Once you reached a goal, then tell the world. My husband didn’t tell anyone when he did his driving test. He failed the first one, so he retook it without saying anything and passed.
Set a plan and give yourself a target of when you want to achieve. Do you see that in the mirror? Does the reflection you see of yourself changed? What area are you going to look at first?
Take some time to answer. Put your list of goals with targets somewhere visible. Make sure you go through of what you see. I have started to put collages on Pinterest. I learned how by watching a video by Rachellea https://www.youtube.com/@rachelleea. Now, I am obsessed with it.
I set goals in my journal and plan away.
Review the goals you have already achieved. Consider the ones you want to set into play next. Yes, there will be hurdles. When you see the results, you’ll see that they are part of the plan. You can build a different, happy, and successful life and then talk about it and keep setting them.
What is the first steps are you going to set. When I started running and entered to doing the Great north run I didn’t just take on the 13.1 miles, I worked up to it by doing different runs and started of by walking and building up to run and now I am trying to get back to it by doing Parkrun and looking forward to doing the Race For life in June.
If you’d like to sponsor me then you, check out my JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/carrie-challoner-10?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
I will be filming my last to videos for my Self Development training next week as it is half term and so been tricky to film. When I do I will post.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
13 Thursday Feb 2025
This is something I ask in my printable. Check out the first blog I wrote sharing the printable for this Self Development training I am doing for the Month of February. https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2025/02/03/self-development-training-begins/
Here is my first Video for this training and talk about Self Neglect. Not getting dressed, not brushing your teeth and it is not saying that your doing anything wrong, I am writing about myself when I would become depressed, I didn’t do those things, knowing that if I did I would feel better and so I had to get out of bed and live.
Life is full of a challenges and I have learned to take in the feelings, then think what can I do that will help me through those thoughts and listen to the positive side of the brain. Life is full of influences, like when we watch the news and hear of another stabbing and it has made me more determined to not allow it stop me from embracing my city, which is London and thinking of he good things. There is always going to be good and bad, but having a good breakfast, reading and listening to podcast can help me not to be affected but enjoy life as you don’t know when its going to end, and so I watch things that bring me joy not sadness and why I started fundraising for good causes.
I share my challenges I faced and not being happy about myself and my life. I felt like my life was boring when actually that is not true. I had a good childhood I just struggled because of not feeling good enough at school. Now see that I had a good holidays and did dancing. I had proper grandparents, relatives and friendships that have lasted so long.
I began to make Life Changes, getting fit and active and not dwelling on things that have gone wrong, but what I learned from those mistakes and not allow anxiety to control my life.
I will be making another video next week. These videos will be on this site forever and if you want to be notified when post on this site to subscribe.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
04 Tuesday Feb 2025
Hello! Please check my blog where I posted a printable for this training: Self development
So there will be three videos for this training. Please check my video where I share details of what you can use, for the 3 sections of this training. So in this training we will cover for example: What is Self Development, Suffering with anxiety, then section 2, Changing my financial choices, an area I have had to work on and planning, example: Setting up your day.
Here is the introduction to this training:
This training is completely free and please give me feedback or ask any questions training. You can write into the comment section below blog to do so.
I am someone who has battled through life dealing with insecurities, not feeling good enough. I would be so critical of myself and so I had to make changes, especially as I grew into adulthood. I thought that by then would feel better about myself but no and they grew even bigger. I feel better once I finished school, which for a while it did. I liked working. Yet had some not so nice jobs and was fired by some of them an lost my confidence.
I have become fed up of allowing those time to bully me. I knew to move forward in my life I had to feel better about myself and my life.
Then I hit rock bottom when I thought that there was someone being hurt, but there was other things going on too. I was finding motherhood hard, felt isolated and had this inner fear that I had never felt before. I went to hospital and found that I was hearing voices and diagnosed with Psychosis and got home help. I began to feel like I had no energy to do anything. It was like being on a wheel that I couldn’t get off from. I spent time in a mental health hospital and recovered and wanted to help others with their mental health and wellbeing. It can feel you are in a dark place with no light.
I want you to love who you are and not be so unkind or resentful of yourself and start living and living beyond your needs. Life doesn’t have to be a battle, but be the best it could ever be, by making changes in the different areas and changing your mindset.
I hope you find this training helpful and share your story, if you have have found life hard and support one another.
Many thanks,
Carrie X
03 Monday Feb 2025
Tags
having a happier life, health and wellbeing, monthly programme, Self development, working on your wellbeing
It is a new week and today my Self Development training begins. I will be filming for my Educational Youtube Channel and I am really looking forward to it and hope it will help follow your dreams and have a life you love.
For me Self Development is simple. Change what you are not happy with. Go through the passed but in a way where your not dwelling but learning. Learning what you have done that turned out to be the best thing you have ever did, so far in your life and what didn’t work out. What is holding you back.
It can be that you failed your driving test. So the first thing is to reflect what happened. Was you driving too fast, you stopped when you shouldn’t have or your nerves distracted you. I made a mistake yesterday where I was playing a song on my radio show and accidentally turned it off but it was okay as I rectified it, reflected well I know that I was rushing and needed to take my time, but the rest of the show went according to plan. Your going to slip up, that’s life. The worst thing to do is allowing it to dominate. Not moving on.
I have created a free Printable which you can download and will give you the details of what the training will be covering.
I will be posting three videos for this training each week and can use it not just for February but throughout your life.
It will be three sections and a conclusion. What you will need, which is basically your time, if you want to write things down and a drink whilst you watch and listen to my training for this Self Development training and please if you want to give me your feedback, then please do.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
14 Tuesday Jan 2025
Posted in having bad days
Tags
Being happy, Books, everyone can build a castle, health, health and wellbeing, Mental Health, new year, Personal Development, reading, winter wellmess
It is now the 14th January 2025. I have already started to do Good Practices like reading every day and training myself on my various interests. I am building my knowledge to extend my online platforms and social media posts. I hope these efforts will boost my online content. They will help me get the most out of the online tools available.
Studying once a week can be a good practice. It is true, yes, “We Learn Everyday.” I like to spend time learning from self-published authors and finance. I also enjoy learning about good books to read, beauty, fashion, skincare, and organization.
I build my fitness subconsciously by walking and using dumbbells. Also housework. This morning, I put some clothes away in my closet and tidied the breakfast ware. I went through my notion planner. I am finding different ways to work towards the life I want. Have more experiences that help me to feel good and ready for each day, month, and year.
I have Chosen my word for the year. This has really helped encourage me to take on new challenges. Working on radio is challenging. It is very technical, and you need to have good attention to detail and I am loving it. I am glad I applied and did not allow my inner critic to talk me out of it.
Each day I will journal. This really helps clear my thoughts, even if I write just one or two sentences. It helps me to have a better mindset. Writing it down puts my thoughts, whether good or bad, into perspective.
Cleansing and looking after my skin and body. I need to control what I because it can affect my mood. In winter, I don’t feel like eating fruit, but I eat plenty of vegetables. I’m starting to take my supplements again, which helps with my immune system. It also supports me during that time of the month by affecting my thoughts and feelings.
Having Good Practices can help with getting through the colder days. They can also aid us financially when you can’t afford electric or gas. This strategy makes you focus on survival. I have had financial struggles because finding work has been tough. I was made redundant. Then, there was Lockdown, which had a huge impact on everyone. I was working in Childcare. The nursery where I was a Bank Staff member closed. Because of this, I was furloughed. Then my husband changed his job, which was fine. He must make sure he has a stable living. Still, the agreement I had with the Nursery was that I worked up to 6pm. I couldn’t do this, and I was mentally struggling. Now that I have financial stability, I check my bank account every day. I control what comes in and out and paid off my debt. These actions have helped me get back on the ladder of building my life. I am doing voluntary work now for Epsom Hospital Radio as mentioned. I would like to do more and build up my income.
I hope these blogs helps you to succeed. That means building the relationship you have with yourself. Follow your hearts and dreams by staying in some days. We joined my son and I, in doing a Parkrun. It was a good way to meet people. I received financial advice and support. This was during my time in a Mental Health Hospital. I had terrible anxiety and didn’t want to go out and wanted to hide away. I got back on my feet, and so can you. Plan and make changes to your life by doing Good Practices. So lets support each other as we all succeed.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
06 Monday Jan 2025
It is now 2025 and boy am I looking forward to the new year. It means making changes to your life and make better than the last. Well try, I know many are snowed in, so I hope you get inspiration from my weekly Cheat Sheets I will posting every Monday to build your life so it is better.
They are free to download and print.
I vlog each week to so please check out my vlogging channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal
You subscribe on this blog aswell my Vlog channel and you will kept alert of my posts and videos.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
05 Sunday Jan 2025
Tags
blog, christmas, everyone can build a castle, Life changes, the new year, vlog, vlogging, winter wellness blog, Youtube
It is good to kick start the year by reflecting on the previous year gone and it has been a long time for me to feel good about the new year and would set new years resolutions but never stuck to them so made Life Changes instead, So I found that I was able to achieve them.
So the year gone I became a Radio DJ, my Youtube channel Typical London Gal had grown, went to see a guy and a lady I have been wanting to see in concert, Mr Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper, travelled by UberBoat that I had wanted to do for my birthday to North Greenwich and took Henry to Portsmouth that my son had wanted to go to, by train, as he loves trains and so it has been a lot of fun and this channel got 10,000 all time views and got more subscribers on my Parenting blog, Versatile Fashion and this site too and feel elated by the feedback I have received from my blogs written and a few likes received for my Vlogs, along with views and my son thanks to my mum, joined a rugby club earned some medals and so it has been a good successful year.
There is no hidden secret to having a good year and feel better about life during the Winter period. It is about sorting out the cobwebs that hang over and make us want to hibernate and forget the troubles of life. So sort out one place at a time. Focus on what you can do and not what can’t. I can’t craft in the shed we have, which I plan to do yet, so in 2024 finally got around to sorting my closet where it had been stored and had a good clear out and am going to do a Reset in my next Vlog I will be putting together by tidying up different areas. The Windowsill in the Living room that needs clearing as it has piles of notebooks and folders one being my notes and lists for my Radio show, Filofax that needs clearing out and items transferred to my new financial planner and then organising my google calendar and updating my sons’ academic planner.
So use the wet and windy days to have a sort out in the Winter and stay in the warm and getting back into the School routine being off at Christmas and New years and feel a strange feeling because Christmas has gone and new years for another year.
So it being Sunday writing this blog going to write some of my book that I am putting together and got some ideas I’d like to do too and build my content and is my sons last New year going to Primary School so will be a huge transition as he will be in September going to Secondary school and we have had a good Christmas because we didn’t allow anything to stop us from what we wanted to do and we didn’t go on holiday but spent time as a family and concentrating having a Christmas that suits us and that is important. It’s not about spending a lot of money but having time to unwind and relax. I like to just chill and rest.
Please check out Youtube channels. I have a vlog channel, where I show you my life as a Mum, Writer, Coach and Radio DJ:
https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
01 Wednesday Jan 2025
Tags
christmas, family, Feeling good about life, grinch, happy living, holidays, life, the new year, Winter Wellness
Who watched The Grinch this year at Christmas? It is one of my sons favourite films and think Jim Carrey is brilliant and as I was watching thought about how we can all be the grinch and not have Christmas Spirit, but this can be changed.
If you have lost someone in your life then don’t feel obliged to read this blog. If you live with others who do want to celebrate Christmas then let them do that, find a place you can go to grieve as, from experience we feel bad in lowering the mood and don’t want to upset those looking forward to Christmas and new year.
If you just feel fed up because of affording gifts then don’t buy a gift. Instead pay them a a visit to chat. It can cause stress because of money and do what you want and celebrate how you want.
I know Christmas is over but even the new year can effect our emotions and my dad never liked New Years Eve and I would get emotional over it and disliked it. I felt my life wasn’t going anywhere and the new year is going to be the same. I felt unaccomplished and wanted to be lifted off my feet by someone. I wanted my life to be a magical story. Yet now I see I have had a great life and more to come because I made a choice to either grow or just fade away not doing anything with my life. I am in charge of my life and don’t want to be rescued but grow for my son and for myself.
Life is full of ups and downs. There is a guy I see in Wimbledon and he talks to himself and shouting about that he doesn’t like this and waiting at the bus stop have seen him look at me and my son Henry and say that he doesn’t like kids but that is up to him. I don’t see him all of the time, but now and then, but I have no idea of what has made him feel he needs to express those negative feelings and try not to feel like I have to be negative to him. People will always have those who are against them, it is how you respond and react that can help you not allow their feelings to pass on to you.
I am not a fan of crowds when shopping and yesterday we went to Kingston and walking down the stairs I try to move over and had these two woman totally ignore the fact that I was trying to move over so I could let those coming up the stairs go passed and expressed my annoyance. Yet we had a nice coffee in John Lewis and had a lovely view facing the river and all was good again and continued to have a good day.
I have set my goals this year and have my life together and by changing my own outlook on life has helped me to not be like the Grinch and had a good Christmas. I didn’t go any parties like I used to when I worked in London, but had a nice chilled one. I did my Christmas walk I like to do each year, wrote a blog and had a nice dinner and yesterday after we got back to Wimbledon from Kingston had a nice meal and watched the new years celebrations and this morning had a nice coffee in Pauls in Wimbledon Village and then back home.
I wish you a happy new year and lets continue to build our lives for 2025.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
25 Wednesday Dec 2024
Tags
book review, Books, christmas, donating, helping others, homeless, Romance, Volunteering, Winter Wellness, writing
It is Christmas day and was able to sleep in for a bit and watched BBC 1 and watching Breakfast TV they were showing volunteers and places where the those that are sleeping rough, its called the “Free Hotel” and have people on Christmas day helping to look after those who may be struggling and there are people who will be lonely, not see anyone.
I love volunteer work and do a radio show at Epsom Hospital, which is a charity and I love it. So rewarding and there are people at Christmas who have no place to go and it is heartbreaking. I believe that noone should be sleeping in the streets and have a roof over their heads and a bed to sleep in and so if you can give to a homeless shelter, volunteer for the local hospital or there are those that knit things for the children in the hospitals, then you are making a huge difference to somebody’s life. Even if it is a couple of hours. Since working on my local hospital radio, I want to do more volunteer work.
This is not to make you feel guilty in anyway and that you have to do voluntary work. Since doing Youtube it has helped me to connect with people who to help others, like Mel Robbins, Kate Kaden, Fearn Cotton and inspires me to help others too by sharing the things that are important to me, that may also be important to you, via my vlogs: Typical London Gal, my blogs too, along with my books and creating different projects and programmes like this one, to make a difference. I am changing one of my books as I am writing a series called Mum&Me and got another book being proof read that I want to publish in 2025 called When Mothers Are Real and its given me such a sense of pride and joy.
It for me is like giving back into society and being grateful that I am not sleeping in the streets and have a gorgeous son and family. Yes there are times when it hasn’t felt like Christmas, treating it like a normal day, but seeing people struggle because of events and that life doesn’t stop just because it is Christmas. People can still get sick. My son is getting over a Chest Infection, I’ve felt a bit rough and my husband is unwell, but we can go home to a house and afford food and gifts for Christmas where others can’t and watching those who have created a place for people who are homeless that have nothing makes me appreciate my life and I now each month give the Trussell Trust, which is the organisation for Foodbanks and hate seeing people struggle.
So I hope you okay and can have a Christmas dinner, do gifts and enjoy this time of year.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
Everyone can build a castle 