Tag Archives: christmas

Winter Wellness: Give Your Life a Makeover

05 Sunday Jan 2025

Posted by in Celebrating, Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Living, new year, Personal care, Personal Development, Planning for 2025, Reflecting, Weekly posts, Winter Wellness

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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

Winter Wellness: We Can All Be The Grinch

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

Posted by in Celebrating, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Living, new year, Personal Development, Planning for 2025, Positive Habits, Reflecting, Weekly posts, Winter Wellness

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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.

Photo I took yesterday in Kingston and had a nice coffee in a cafe in John Lewis with a good view of the River Thames.

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

Winter Wellness: Having no Place to Go

25 Wednesday Dec 2024

Posted by in Celebrating, Financial Living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Inspirational TV, Living, new year, People, Personal care, Weekly posts, Winter Wellness

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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.

Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com

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

Winter Wellness: Those that has gone AT Christmas

19 Thursday Dec 2024

Posted by in Celebrating, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Living, Love, People, Weekly posts, Winter Wellness

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I am a little sad this week because of a Comedian called Duncan Norvellle died this week and I saw him live in Blackpool one summer season with Frank Carson and wish that some people would live for ever because people like Duncan, comedy has always helped me through the down days which I can often feel during Winter.

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels.com

Having little day light can bring on the loss you feel and like my family members gone, because it’s so final, but tell myself that I will see them again. Many may not believe they will and that is fine, but for me it brings me peace and not fear death. Sorry if this is morbid. You don’t have to continue reading this blog if you feel uncomfortable about it, because death is a tricky subject and when that person has gone you can feel guilty in celebrating Christmas, knowing that they will no longer be there and losing them, can feel so strong because of their absence.

Keep with traditions. This can be a good way to help make them feel that they are still with you via keeping with the traditions that person had at Christmas time. Like having a tipple that person had had, when Bobby Ball died, who was part of a double act I loved, Cannon and Ball, held a gala and put out Bobby Ball’s shoes and his red braces on a chair.

Have your guests help you if they can raise funds for a charity. This can provide support to you if you have lost someone from a Stroke, a heart attack or Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and I each month I donate money or food to a local food bank. So needed at Christmas time as inflation goes up.

Light a candle with a picture of the person you have lost. Some people may feel a bit uncomfortable in doing that, but can help celebrate that persons lives and have people fill in a memorial book, sharing their stories and messages.

Create a scrapbook or a photo book of photos. Something your kids can do and do as a family and create messages, write letters or create a gallery. I love it near the Southbank towards Vauxhall, where there are hearts. This is memorial of those who died from COVID and can leave a message of someone you know who died of the disease. So if you visiting London, then check it out and write a message if you lost someone to COVID and take a photo that you can keep and feel we still have a connection with the person spiritually.

It is hard because Christmas is about Jesus being born and not grieving of someone who has died and if I could stop people from passing away at Christmas time I would because it feels like, life is unfair and when my nan died, it felt different that it too a while to get used to, because we always spent Christmas with my nan, because my life as I knew it was suddenly gone. This is why I do still have snowball at Christmas, having traditional Christmas dinner and watch my son opening up his presents like those who have passed did when they were alive and so keeping their memory alive.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Winter Wellness: Handling The Days When it is Gloomy

17 Tuesday Dec 2024

Posted by in Financial Living, health and wellbeing, Living, new year, Personal care, Personal Development, Planning for 2025, Positive Habits, Winter Wellness

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So today it is an example of a gloomy day and it effects when not having enough light. I use these days to be cozy, make sure I have on some good woolly clothes, have a hot drink and then have a nice hot bath in the evening and read. I like to watch a bit of TV and making staple meals, like Sausages and mash, Pie and mash, casseroles, stews and roasts.

One place I love when picking my son up from school and enjoy the weekly walk and has horses and love Winter walks. I am going to be doing a Winter Walk in January 25th to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and is a 5K walk in London and so if you’d like to sponsor me then here is a link to my Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/typicallondongal?utm_term=YEkaAvGmE

It is good to get out a Scented Candle, making sure they are on shelf that your kids can’t get too and listen to some chill out music or any music that makes you feel content and take some time to write or watch some TV and create a good mindset even if it is dark outside and the one thing I love is putting on a pair of woolly socks.

What gives you peace is it going out and visiting the shops. Are you desperate to see friends but live too far apart, so feel isolated?

There are places you can go to see people and since doing Volunteering work for my local hospital radio station I have met some great people and having good social interaction and met a lady today who also volunteers at the hospital administering medication. I did some courses at an adult community college and was a great to meet people.

I also like time for myself and hate having small talk and like my coffee I have each week in a coffee shop. planning and write notes for my blogs, books and videos. I like to have a good clear out too and Boy George for example does DJing, singing and in his spare time creating art. My aunty who is retired started doing a local class in flower arranging and made some lovely table settings for me when I got married and love hearing stories of people, in magazines, that have made what was a hobby into a small business. There is plenty of opportunity to go round. In the winter it is good to have a hobby as it can take your mind off the dark days and you can get SAD lamps too help you get a bit of light and I love fairy lights.

If you are struggling financially then you can go to a a Food Bank and it can feel shameful but honestly they are good places and you can have a cup of tea and socialise with others who are also struggling and I donate each month to support families visiting the Food Bank, for support.

With Christmas it can be more of struggle to afford food and presents and then Food Banks can provide food for you and if you like to donate toys or a gift for a family then you can donate them to go to a families who are struggling to put food on the table and keeping warm and still have a good Christmas or cook them a meal or let them join you, if it is a neighbour, a relative or a friend.

Also do something different each winter. Like visiting different places, like a friend of mine went to LA one year or go out for Christmas dinner with friends and family. My dad and my uncles, along with my cousin would go to the pub on Christmas day whilst my Nan cooked and my mum, aunties and I would play a game and yes be sensible as I don’t condone Drink Driving, but have a meet up with friends and often my relatives would go out to the a local park to play.

So you can enjoy winter by choosing what will make you have a good winter rather than dreading it.

If you like my blogs and like the content I share and want to be alerted then please subscribe.

Many thanks for reading

Carrie X

Winter Wellness 2024

10 Tuesday Dec 2024

Posted by in Celebrating, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Love, People, Personal care, Personal Development, Positive Habits, Printables, productivity, Weekly posts, Winter Wellness

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Hello! Today is the beginning of my Winter Wellness programme that I have created to help you have a good winter when we can feel gloomy and fatigued all day and not wanting to get out of bed.

As I write this blog I am listening to Enya who I love playing when it comes to winter time. Yesterday I posted my printable on introducing this new programme I have created Winter Wellness Programme Begins

Image I took when we took my son and his cousin to the Winter Christmas event in Wimbledon.

So going to cover in this programme:

  • Wrapping up the year to get ready for the new year.
  • How to get through the darker days and nights
  • Cozy nights and what would you like to do in the Winter
  • Slowing down and do less
  • Setting goals for winter
  • Making the most of the daylight
  • Good Wellness Practices I use to enjoy the Winter time

My dad was never a fan of New years Eve as it is Winter here in the UK and I tended to get emotional about it. I would set resolutions that I never followed through with. So what I did instead was make life changes and helped me with following through and stick to the changes I wanted to make.

In the printable I have included a section to write down goals, go through your current routine and what you want to change and enjoy. Like what TV do I want to watch, meals I enjoy having and drink too.

I like winter walks and taking part in a Winter Walk this winter in January, in London and going to a pantomime or show. I like winter drinks, such hot chocolate, a mulled wine and winter ciders, making sure I am sensible, but just slow down and using the bleak days better by doing things I enjoy.

So in the work book go through what you enjoy and if it is to go on holiday to a warmer country then that is fine. One year I went away on holiday at Christmas. It was a brilliant experience and would like to do that again one Christmas time. I love Christmas and winter markets. I like to watch some old films and repeats of TV specials and new ones.

I am doing No spend January again this year where by I buy only what I need and still go out for a coffee to help stop me being on my laptop all of the time, but not spending money on clothes I don’t need or get carried away because of the New Year sales.

I like to plan my budget and planning for the new year and reflect on the year gone.

I really hope you get a lot of out of it, my Winter Wellness programme and if you’d like to be alerted when I post on this site and will be making videos too on my Educational Youtube channel too, please subscribe. Here is the link to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CarrieEducationalYoutube-ws4xp

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Body and Mind: Celebrating Christmas

21 Thursday Nov 2024

Posted by in Celebrating, Financial Living, health and wellbeing, Living, Love, Weekly posts

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It is coming close to the season of cheer and joy, but for some it can be the worst time of the year if they have experienced trauma or a loss of someone. This can affect our feelings. When my spark had gone for Christmas it made me feel that I couldn’t wait for it be over. I felt under pressure because of my gift will not be good enough and how much I pay matters, but now I know that is not true.

Photo by Hanna Alves on Pexels.com

Now I love it and the birth of my son has helped and loves it and it taking it step by step. I wrote a long time ago about changing traditions: Creating new traditions So I go for a walk, prep for dinner or my husband does that and just chill.

So now any celebration I acknowledge it and set into play good days out, seeing family and going for a drink (remember safety) can help with creating memories that my son can cherish and the tables turn when you have kids, like when my Grandad died (my mums dad), she’d come to us for Christmas dinner rather than her cook, we then went back over to hers when she was in Sheltered Housing, being elderly so couldn’t go we went to hers so she wasn’t on her own and that we still celebrated as a family.

It is time take it easy and not allow it to beat you over the head of can’t afford it because we think the more expensive it is the more reassured that our family or friends know you love them and we get into debt which causes you to fear it. Your presents and time is enough and not about causing guilt or anxiety because you have lack of funds and if you need support than ask. Going to the Food Bank is not to make you devalued but is about getting support so you can still celebrate Christmas and I feel strongly that we shouldn’t have family needing to go to a foodbanks because all families should be given support by our government and reducing cost and Foodbank isn’t a dirty word and there is no price tag when it comes to love.

I each month now I give to the local Foodbank to help families. This is not an ad, but how I feel about the world and love to give and we should all be helping each other so we can have happiness and enjoy the festive season.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Donating to others for Christmas and plans for 2024 to raise money for good causes

05 Tuesday Dec 2023

Posted by in Celebrating, Dreams and ambitions, Everyday living, Financial Living, Goal setting, health and wellbeing, Living, Love, new year, Personal Development, Positive Habits, Weekly posts

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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.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

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.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

November Newsletter 2023

22 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in Celebrating, Creating new traditions, Financial Living, Friendships and relationships, Monthly Newsletter, Monthly posts, Printables

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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.

november-newsletter-2023Download

So check it out and lets enjoy getting ready for some good family fun, and creating those wonderful memories.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

The Last newsletter of 2022

24 Saturday Dec 2022

Posted by in Dreams and ambitions, Everyday living, Goal setting, Monthly Newsletter, Personal Development, Planning 2023, Printables, Weekly posts

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Thank you to those who have liked and followed my blogs. It is December 2022 and tomorrow it is Christmas day.

I wanted to get my last Newsletter for December up to help prep for the new year as this is only a week away too.

So please see it and it is all about goals and what I plan for 2023 with a page you can use to set your own.

first-weekly-newsletter-december-2022Download

Many thanks and have a wonderful Christmas.

Carrie X

Typical London Gal