Tag Archives: family

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

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: 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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

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

Body and Mind: Celebrating Christmas

21 Thursday Nov 2024

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

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

Body and Mind: The Joy Of Doing Nothing

10 Sunday Nov 2024

Posted by in Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Living, Personal care, Positive Habits, Weekly posts

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Sometimes we just need a break. From devices, cleaning, socialising and do nothing, which Mel Robbins has talked about and it so true: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNPgn_qfoNk to recharge.

Yesterday we went out for my sons birthday and did a bit of planning using my notebook and Notion and taking a break to have a bath, watching and listening to the football scores and listening to Epsom Hospital Radio.

I have forgotten how good it is to do nothing. On Saturdays I love spending time sitting on the sofa listening to Marcus Tattersall who does the Saturday afternoon show on Epsom Hospital radio and can be heard in the UK and so please check it out. I also do a show show on Sundays, 4pm to 6pm. I’m not doing my show today, Sunday, as I am celebrating my sons birthday but back next Sunday and is free to listen.

It is good to sit and be present, taking in what is around you and so just chilling with a brew and with family is so fulfilling and love having days where I don’t need to go anywhere and stop in, so I get a good boost to go out on somedays but not putting too much pressure on myself and helps aluminate stress.

After my son came back from celebrating his birthday, going to the Ninja Warrior Adventure Park and it was good to take my makeup off, get into my Pjs and one of my nieces loves staying in her Pjs at the weekend and there was a time I did this too on some weekends and not having to lift a finger. I like to be ready to get back to sort the home out, going to appointments and just the daily grind after the joy of doing nothing.

I like Sunday mornings watching repeats of Cheers, Match of the day and normally my son will go to a rugby club, but he didn’t want to go, but is going to his football club later and I get to see it as I normally be doing my radio show.

So it is good to just relax, take some well earned time to just be doing sweet FA and enjoy.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Take 5 if Lockdown is getting too much

24 Wednesday Jun 2020

Posted by in Everyday living, Personal Development, Work

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So if you didn’t know I also write a parenting blog, well two in fact which are:

https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com/

https://theparentingadventuresthebirthofmyson.wordpress.com/

Well tonight once again Henry my son decided to play up and not go to bed, and sometimes as with life some unplanned events can happen which often we see is beyond our control.

That’s why sometimes it is good just to Take 5. What I mean is taking 5 minutes or so just to take a step back and breath.

This can happen when being responsible for anything in our lives, including running a business.

So what do you do?

Free Cartoon Of Stressed Out Person, Download Free Clip Art, Free ...

In the end I thought go out of the room, let him play about whilst I gather myself together, got some bits I needed downstairs and bought it upstairs and took a shower, and I have to say I felt a whole lot better.

When I looked in on him afterwards he was fine again and settled in bed.

We all need sometime to just breath and take some time for ourselves to recuperate, we are living machines that constantly thinking, doing and acting, and when children don’t settle or someone is sick or some money didn’t go in as expected it can really be like “For God sake let me have a break”, so if things like Lockdown is getting under your skin take 5 and you will feel a whole lot better.

Lockdown was beyond our control and if you are having to work from home and look after children it can take its toll and you can be the one who feels like screaming.

I am sure there are parents who wish to do a runner rather than your kids during lockdown, as we look for endless things to do, which is still limited at the moment.

So if you need to take 5 do it because its the only way we can stop ourselves from going insane.

Truth! #funny http://pishposhbaby.com (With images) | Funny ...

Stay safe and many thanks for reading.

Please remember to follow me should you want updates of my blogposts on WordPress.com and see you in my next post.

 

Carrie X

 

Take Control of your life

12 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by in Everyday living, Personal Development, Printables, Work

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello and welcome to another blogpost.

In this post today I am talking about Taking Control of your life.

Yes I am confused by the lockdown like many, the questions that came into my head were is do I go out or not? I can go to work but can only see one person, like that is possible?

The one thing it has made me do during this Pandemic is Take control of my life, by working on my blogs, books, researching for content and watching some Youtube videos, and really buckling down and do some work.

Just because there is a lockdown doesn’t mean we have to slouch in front of the TV we can still be productive.

I have been staying at my mum’s until I can find somewhere else to go to, my marriage has come to an end, so I haven’t had to do any cleaning as much but schedule my days better and have gotten so much more done.

It doesn’t have to be strenuous work just 5 minutes a day concentrating on something other than what you would normally do, can make such a different.

I have come up with more content for my blogs and I am in the process of developing an Online course, which I will be launching soon and started writing a book based on many topics covered on the blog site.

It is amazing how much you can get done check out this template from Word Excel that I use to help me schedule my work load.

blog schedule template

When I have days where I have felt a little glum I have listening to music, here is a song that I  have discovered which speaks wonders it is called “Nothing going to bring me down” 

So keep going and keep safe and lets hope we can return to normal very soon.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

 

 

Watch “The stranger at my brother’s grave (FULL DOCUMENTARY) BBC Stories” on YouTube

06 Monday Aug 2018

Posted by in Inspiration board, Inspiring stories, Love

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Really lovely story, sad but has a happy ending.

It is sad that someone who was so young and had so much more life to live but was cut short by tragedy.

Please share your stories too I would love to hear from you?

Many thanks for reading

 

Carrie X

Inspiration board

04 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in Inspiration board, Personal Development

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Get yourself a notebook, or a piece of card or pin board, and put everything from pictures, to articles to video clips that inspire you, as this can help with anxiety and feelings of depression.

It is good to have a focus. I want to create my inspiration board for this blog, as there are videos and stories, I have come across through Youtube and books that have inspired me and could inspire you too.

I support mental health 100% because I have had mental health problems too, and can effect anybody, whether they are a millionaire to someone living on the streets, and can effect us at any point. Sometimes it may not be for one reason, but for many reasons.

I found this video on Youtube, by Tulisa, who was part of a band called N Dubz and an X Factor judge. She shares her story and others in this documentary, of young carers who’s parents had suffered with mental health, and how it can have a growing impact on young peoples lives.

This video was uploaded by Katie Thornton.

It makes me think of Henry, when he grows up, I hope he doesn’t have to be my carer when I am older, or will he suffer the same as he grows to have feelings and emotions.

I hope you find this video inspiring too, and let me know of videos and stories that you have found inspiring, I would be interested to find out.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X

Isolation

09 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Personal Development

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wasn’t sure where I wanted to write this blog, but I felt I needed to add it to this site, as when we are trying to conquer our goals, the one thing that can stop us is isolation. We can often feel like we aren’t part of society and alone.

When I feel isolated the one thing I do is get out of the house and go for a walk. The worst thing you can do is to stay in doors, home alone. Getting out is important, as isolation usually means you need a new environment, and space.

Feeling isolated can lead us to feeling depressed, so getting out will help stop the cobwebs, which is what I call depressive thoughts, from emerging.

Care, Feeling, Female, Couple, Give

If you do get invited out, unless there is trouble getting to somewhere, take up the invite and go.

Isolation means you need to be with people, and you probably find that they too have felt isolated and alone, all they needed just like you, a friend.

If someone does talk to you, give them acknowledgement, instead of trying to ignore them.

It is so easy at times to isolate yourself especially if you are a new mum for example, but this is where meeting other mums for example, can really help. Knowing you aren’t alone in feeling like you a walking meal on tap, as from my own experience, as much as I love my son I did feel often like a walking cow.

Getting out is important for isolation and a new environment can really do the trick.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X