Blogtember Challenge Day 27: My Latest Fashion Wish List

Disclaimer: I have not been paid to promote any of these products, I'm writing this as part of the Blogtember Challenge.
Hi honeys,
I'm sorry this post is a little (lot) late today, but I worked a late shift tonight, so I'm just home and wanted to post this while it's still day 27 :)  We're now on to the last few days of the Blogtember Challenge & it's kinda sad because I've really enjoyed taking part.  So huge extra squeezy thank you hugs to the lovely Bailey Jean of Brave Love for organizing it, it's been wonderful!

So, today's prompt was: Sept 27th: What's on your wish list? Be sure to include links so we can shop, too ;)  OK, time for some retail therapy honeys :) Now, if you've read any of my blog you'll know I don't go out much, work & hospital appointments are about it, so I tend to do my clothes shopping from George at Asda because 1. it's where we grocery shop & 2. I love their clothes :)

So, here it is, this is my wish list :)

Blogtember Challenge Day 26: How I've changed in the past year

Hello honeys,
Well, here we are in the last few days of the Blogtember Challenge. It's been a lot of fun & also the first time since I started this blog in late January of this year, that I've tried to blog every day, which although challenging at times, I've actually really enjoyed.  Thank you so much to the lovely Bailey Jean for organizing a whole month full of writing prompts for us to follow. Do visit her blog, Brave Love, and say hello honeys x

So, todays prompt is:  Sept 26th: How have you changed in the past year?

This is a really interesting prompt.  On first reading, I immediately thought, well I haven't, but of course we all do. In my case, after a little thought, I can think of a couple of areas I've changed, maybe even improved in :)

1. Writing

I'm blogging.  I've always written honeys, but never in the organized, structured way that blogging has encouraged me to.  I'm not just writing, I'm writing regularly.  Blogging has given me something to focus on, to channel my creativity (such as it is lol) into. Best of all, I can use it to document our work in organizing our home.

I was in the break room recently at work, scribbling a few notes into my always present tiny notebook (you never know when a new blog post idea will pop up) when a co-worker asked me what I was doing. I told him I was scribbling some notes for a blog post & he said "are you a blogger? that's so cool!"  You know what honeys? It is cool, it's very cool & I love it x

2.  Organizing

We've always been packrats :) We've collected too much stuff throughout our married life and earlier this year we decided we were fed up with the clutter. So, we're now more focused on creating some kind of order through organizing our home.  It's not an overnight process though unfortunately, but we'll get there eventually & with hubby on board too, at least I know I'll have a giggle along the way :)

3. Coping

Finally, and this is a little personal but I promise honeys, this is not an invitation to a pity party. Those I don't do.  Over the past year or so I've been forced to admit to myself that I'm not as able as I used to be.  I've been battling chronic illness for over 15 years, and that whole time I've tried to keep living as if there's nothing wrong.  I suppose I thought I could fool myself, not let it beat me.

Well, I can't seem to fool myself anymore. I get tired very easily, to the point of being flat out drained after my two shifts at work each week. One of my biggest fears is not being able to work, or of my employers seeing how tired being there makes me and taking my job away. 

So I've had to become very adept at hiding when I'm tired.  At least while I'm there.  Life seems to always be a series of "trade offs."  Which irritates me if I'm honest.  If I want to have a chance of getting through my shifts at work, I now have to completely rest for a day or so before and I'm left so drained for a day (s) after.  I dislike this intensely, that in order to keep working I'm forced to give up other things, for example there are so many things I'd love to be getting on with at home, but simply don't have the energy. 

I need to find a better way to cope, I do feel like the arthritis is starting to get the better of me, and I simply can't allow that.  Sometimes I'm very thankful for my stubborn nature, it's what keeps me going.  Home is my "safe place." when I'm home I can just be me and don't have to worry that anyone sees how tired I am.

Till tomorrow dear ones, sending heaps of hugs your way xx

Blogtember Challenge Day 24: Fall Bucket List

Hi Honeys,
Apologies for this being a day late, but I can't seem to get images to upload onto blogger anymore.  You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get the image below uploaded! Additionally, I can't edit anymore, so the spacing & line breaks etc are all over the place, it's infuriating! I'm so sorry of this looks a mess, I really am. I don't have any control over it anymore, it's a battle even to get it to publish :/  I think the time may have come for me to start thinking about moving my blog honeys :/

So, on to (the slightly late) day 24 of the blogtember challenge, today's prompt is: Sept 24th: Your fall bucket list. What do you want to do before winter rolls around?

I hate to sound really boring but all of the things I want to have done before winter arrives involve organizing projects around our home :)

We're still de-cluttering, still finding treasures (& memories) from through the years, along with a whole lot of "what on earth did we keep this for?" stuff  :)  We do have a few projects planned, though how many of them we actually accomplish before the end of the year, we'll see.  That's the great thing though honeys, whatever we don't get done, we'll start on again after the holidays :)

It would be fabulous to just twitch my nose & have it all done & dusted (did anyone else adore "Bewitched" as a child?) but we can only do what we can do I suppose, with life & work getting in the way at times.  So, one of the things I'd like done is the cupboard in the back bedroom, which right now is full of boxes. I'd like to organize this and have an actual clothes closet.

I know honeys, I've been spending too long on Pinterest again :) But there is a cupboard with great potential being wasted housing boxes of stuff that haven't been opened in years, and I have no room for my clothes & shoes dammit :) Hee hee :)

There is also some work still needing done in the kitchen. We're hoping to install a new worktop for instance, and we've new shelves (still in their boxes in the back cupboard) to put up in there too.  That being said, I'm quite pleased with what we've managed to do so far, there is now a designated baking cupboard for instance, which holds my assorted baking trays & silicone bakeware we've managed to collect. I love silicone bakeware! It's so easy to use & a breeze to clean :)

We made a good start on the cupboard under the stairs last weekend & threw lots of "why on earth did we keep this?" stuff out :) We're hoping to get it finished this weekend & maybe make a start on the back bedroom which we're switching from having a single bed to a double, so that might mean (hubby) tweaking the furniture placement a little :)

I'm hoping to share our little organizing projects as we get them done honeys but right now blogger doesn't want to allow me to upload images, I'll need to find a way around that, or (and this is scary) try to figure out how to move my blog :/

I hope you're having a great week honeys, till next time, sending heaps of hugs your way xxx

Decluttering: What to do with old or broken electrical items

Hello honeys!
I hope everyone's well & having a great start to the week.  As I said (very) late last night, as much fun as the Blogtember Challenge has been, and it really has, I've been keeping up at the expense of my own "Rosie" posts I'm afraid.  So I thought today I'd write an organizing post.

Apologies though, because this should have been published yesterday, but I had a "flarey" day with awful spine & shoulder pain, so today I'm determined to at least try to catch up.
 

I wondered if anyone else has ever wondered what on earth to do with their old or broken electrical appliances?  I know that I certainly have.  Of course we have two very different categories of items, but there are many ways to de-clutter both old & broken things.

Blogtember Challenge Day 22: A Few of My Favourite Fabulous Blogs

Hi honeys
This has to be one of my favourite prompts so far in the Blogtember Challenge. Sept 22nd: Introduce us to 5 blogs you read on the regular, and tell us why!   Thank you to the lovely Bailey Jean at Brave Love for organizing this Blogtember Challenge.  All of the prompts have been fun, some challenging but this one is just wonderful! What a great way to share the love, so here are a few of my favourite fabulous blogs.

I really do love this prompt! It's so great to be able to recommend some of the places I love to go hang out. Places that inspire me & make me smile (even on not so great days.) The only problem I had was to only pick five! Here they are though, some of my favourite wonderful, fabulous, beautiful blogs, do visit & say hello.  Let's all share the love honeys xx

Blogtember Challenge Day 21: Fall Favourites

Hello again honeys
Apologies for the lateness, I'm only just making it on time for day 21 of the Blogtember Challenge, with many thanks to the lovely Bailey Jean of Brave Love for organizing this month's prompts. It's been such fun to take part :) I've been so drained today, but I wanted to post.

So today's prompt is: Sept 21st: Fall Favorites. What do you love most about this season?

OK, I have a confession... I've never liked this time of year. It makes me sad because summer is over and we're rolling (too fast) towards winter.  I'm entirely a Spring & Summer person so autumn & Winter have to be tolerated in order to get to Spring Summer again. I dislike the cold, and the dark. In Scotland it can be dark before 4pm and doesn't get light in the mornings till after 9am at times.

That much darkness for months on end can suck the life out of a person, I need sunshine. What can I say, the stork obviously delivered me to the wrong place, I should have been delivered somewhere warm & tropical where I could hang out laundry all year long :)  So, what can I find about autumn that I do like? 

Blogtember Challenge Day 20: A Day in the Life of Rosie

Hello honeys :)
It's a real dreich day here, it's raining outside, a little chilly, & the skies are so grey :/ We do however, thankfully, have the Blogtember Challenge to be getting on with, organized by the lovely Bailey Jean at Brave Love.  Today's prompt is:  Sept 20th: Share a day in the life. Pictures, timelines, stats, however you like.

I've been thinking how I can describe an average day in my life for you, without causing you to nod off for a nap :) My life is, on the face of it, quite dull really, but I do love it.  OK, so fetch a pillow and blanket just in case, and here we go :)

Blogtember Challenge Day 19: For what it's worth honeys x

Hi Honeys
Hope everyone is well today. I'm exhausted, having stayed up to watch the results of the Independence referendum.  So today we've reached day 19 of blogtember, organized by the lovely Bailey Jean of Brave Love.  Today's prompt is Sept 19th: If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

All I can offer you honeys is what life has taught me, so far anyway :)

We only have one life, and everyone always feels like they have all the time in the world. We don't. Time passes so, so fast. So, here it is, for what it's worth.  

Blogtember Challenge Day 18: Sometimes it's the journey not the destination :)

Good morning honeys,
An early start today, as always, and today it's back to the blogtember challenge, organized by the lovely Bailey Jean at Brave Love, this has been such a lot of fun :)  Today's prompt is: Sept 18th: Tell a tale of traveling, a city or country you've been to or a favourite vacation

This is a tougher prompt than it might seem honeys.  I don't travel, you see.  I like to sleep in my own bed at night. Bit boring I know but there it is :) Everything I need to make me happy is to be found within the walls of our happy little home.  In the scheme of things, I live my life in a very small goldfish bowl, and that's fine by me :)

Last year however, we took a trip to Edinburgh with three dear friends and had a fabulous time in spite of.....

Homemade Tuna Mayonnaise Sandwich Spread: So much nicer than shop bought and so many ways to use it too.

Hi honeys
It feels so odd not to be posting a Blogtember entry for the first time this month. It's been such fun and I'm looking forward to taking part in the rest of the month, but I have no idea how to make a Vlog, maybe someday :)

So, having gotten used to posting each day, I thought I'd share one of our kitchen favourites 😊 Tuna mayonnaise sandwich spread is something I used to buy pre-made at the supermarket with my regular weekly grocery shop. 

It's a great favourite with both hubby & I, equally at home as a sandwich filling, or as a toast topper, or even, as I did last night, used as a side dish with a baked potato 😋

Tuna Mayo sandwich spread is so easy to make and is cheaper than buying pre-made too.  I started making ours fresh quite some time ago, with any leftovers popped into a lidded container in the fridge where it will keep for 3 - 4 days easily. 

It's great to have on hand for a quick snack when the rumble tums appear.  Far healthier too to have a healthy sandwich as a snack, with the filling ready to grab from the fridge, than to munch on a chocolate bar.

Blogtember Challenge Day 16: Most People Don't Know This But....

Hello again honeys :)
Welcome to day 16 of the lovely Bailey Jean's blogtember challenge, today's prompt is: Sept 16th: "Most people don't know this but..."

So, the above graphic might have given you a clue but... I LOVE Halloween :)

Blogtember Challenge Day 15: My Mood Board

Hi honeys
Back again with day 15 of the lovely Baily Jean's Blogtember Challenge.  I really have been enjoying this challenge & I'll be sad when it's over.  Thank you Bailey Jean, I'm loving this whole experience xx

Today's writing prompt is Sept 15th: Make a mood board. Are you brainstorming a room re-do, or are you dreaming of glamping with gal-pals? Share a collage of any kind!

So honeys, here it is, here is my mood board. I had such fun making this  :)

Blogtember Challenge Day 14: My Blogging Journey

Hello honeys
I hope you're all well & have had a fabulous weekend so far.  So today we've moved on to day 14 of the lovely Bailey Jean's blogtember challenge.  Todays prompt is: Sept 14th: When did you start blogging and why?

I started my blog in late January of this year, so I'm still very new to it all, but I'm enjoying it immensely.  I love blogging, I love the strong sense of community that exists.

Blogtember Challenge Day 13: Relationship Status

Hello honeys
Another fun day in the blogtember challenge. Today's prompt is: Sept 13th: Your current relationship status. If dating/married, give us a glimpse of your story! If single, share about this special season.

OK, fair warning, I'm about to be sickeningly sweet. Abandon ship if this stuff makes you nauseous :)  Still here? Cool! I love my husband. There, I said it.  I don't just love my husband, I adore him. I love everything about him. I love his laugh, I love his smile, I love that we can sit in a room for hours, perfectly quiet and I wouldn't want to be any other place, with any other person in the whole world. Ever.

Blogtember Challenge Day 12: Our (really boring) Hogmanay Tradition :)

Hi honeys
Todays prompt in the Blogtember Challenge organized by the lovely Bailey Jean at Brave Love is a fun one. 

Sept 12th: Tell us about a favorite tradition. It could be a family tradition or from a holiday, university, you-name-it. What makes it so special?

Being a Scot I thought I'd tell you about our unusual (and to others probably incredibly boring) Hogmanay tradition :) As you might know Hogmanay is the Scottish new year.  As a child I can remember parties with family & neighbours popping in, being given diluted lime cordial to drink and the thrill of being allowed to stay up till after midnight!

Bathroom Storage Re-Do: Before & After

Hello honeys
I thought I'd share our latest little project in our efforts to de-clutter & organize our home. This time we're in the bathroom.

Blogtember Challenge Day 11: My Inspiration

Hello honeys,
Today we're on to day 11 of Bailey Jean's Blogtember Challenge and today's prompt is:  Sept 11th: How do you stay inspired? Who inspires you the most?

Ladybirds - Beauty In Nature & free printable

Hello honeys,
I was actually working on an organizing post when I went outside to bring in laundry and saw this....

I so love ladybirds!! I asked hubby to grab the camera and I snapped some photos.  Ms Ladybird kindly stayed a while until I'd taken some photos and then off she flew, so thank you Ms Ladybird :)

Blogtember Challenge Day 10: 10 Things I like about Me!

Hi Honeys
I have to be honest, this has to have been the most difficult thing blog post I've ever had to write.  I've been trying to write todays post in Bailey Jean's Blogtember challenge Sept 10th: List 10 things that you love about yourself! Let's kick that negative self-talk outta here!  and all I've had on this page is a little cursor blinking at me as if to say "well........?"

I am my own worst critic. Are we all like that? is it just me? If I'm paid a compliment, even by hubby, closest person to me on earth, my first reaction isn't to feel happy.  Instead there's an immediate little voice in my head saying "that was kind."  Like I'm some lump that doesn't deserve daylight much less a compliment, so it must be pity, right?

Adding A Little Bathroom Bling!

Hi honeys,
Just a little quick post to share the silliest thing :) Do you remember the crystal door knobs I'd added to our white wooden bathroom cabinets a while ago? 

Blogtember Challenge Day 9: Personality Types

Hi Honeys,
Welcome back for day 9 of Bailey Jean's Blogtember Challenge. Today's prompt is to write about our personality type.

Sept 9th: Let's talk personality types. Introverted? Extroverted? Unsure-troverted? ;)

Bailey Jean gave us a link to an online test, meant to determine our personality type. My results said this....

Blogtember Challenge Day 8: Music that Moves Me

Disclaimer: I'm not being paid to recommend any of these artists or albums. This post is written as part of the Blogtember Challenge, and as such, I'm listing my favourites. I hope that you like them too x

Hello again honeys
Here we are on day 8 of the lovely Bailey Jean's blogtember challenge.  Today's prompt is:  Sept 8th: Music that moves you. Are you a Spotify addict or a Pandora guru? Tell us your favourite artists/stations!

I adore music. It keeps me sane like nothing else when the world gets a little too much to cope with, which is often. When I'm feeling stressed, overwhelmed or even just have a desperate need to chill out, I put on headphones, disappear into my favourite music, feel my shoulders relax & the stresses just melt away.

Blogtember Challenge Day 7: Reading List

Hi honeys
Hope everyone's had a fabulous weekend :) It's been such a beautiful sunny day today, I so hope you've been able to enjoy it. On to day 7 of the lovely Bailey Jean's blogtember challenge. Have you joined in yet? If not, do go here it's such fun!

OK, so today's blog prompt is:  Sept 7th: What's on your current reading list? Or what have you read that you recommend?

As I shared previously, I tend to enjoy chilling out with audio books so if it's OK I'll share what I've been chilling out with recently.

Being a terrible insomniac I have a tiny speaker that slips under my pillow so I can listen to my audio books at night without bothering hubby.  On my bedside table I have a little MP3 player, and a CD player (what? I still like to rock it old school LOL)  On the MP3 player are a few of my favourite books, and I also have a bookcase nearby which has the rest of our audio books on it.  Recent audio loves are .....

Blogtember Challenge Day 6: I'm Currently....

Hi honeys
Beautiful blue skies outside, a lovely soft breeze and I'm busy typing this between hanging laundry outside :)

So, todays writing prompt for the lovely Bailey Jean's Blogtember Challenge is:  Sept 6th: A "currently..." post. Tell us what you're loving, hating, reading, eating, etc.

Current Project: 

A brief glimpse through this blog will show we're trying to get control of our clutter, and re-organize our home. It's on-going, one room at a time and we're resigned to the fact it'll take a while, but we're having fun doing it. We're re-discovering things we'd forgotten we even had in cupboards, filling bags to take to the charity shop, and loving the treasures (and memories) we're finding along the way.

The Blogtember Challenge Day 5: I'm Passionate About...

Hello honeys
So we're on to day 5 of the blogtember challenge organized by the lovely Bailey Jean at Brave Love.
Todays writing prompt is "Sept 5th: "I am passionate about ______________. "

Shall I be honest honeys? I approached todays prompt not knowing what to write. Isn't to be passionate about something to have something to live and breathe for? to care about it so much that you rarely think about anything else?

Cheap & Easy Way To Improve Your Blog Photos!

Hi honeys,
Just a quick post to share a recent really inexpensive purchase that has made such a ridiculously huge difference in my blog photos :) Honestly, I'm so happy and the best thing is that it cost so little!  In total a whopping £1.98!

I have for some time now been looking for foam boards or something similar to use as a backdrop for blog photos. I haven't been able to find them locally, although we do kinda live way out in the back of beyond somewhat so.... and the foam boards seemed, for what they are really, to be quite expensive online.  And then I saw this....

Blogtember Challenge Day 4: Fashion trends

Hello again honeys
It's day 4 of the blog-tember challenge organized by the wonderful Bailey Jean on Brave Love. If you haven't joined yet, do go look at the prompts, it's such fun!

So, todays prompt is:  Sept 4th: Pick a fashion trend you love and a fashion trend you hate. Win us over!

Blogtember Challenge: Day 3: When I grow up....

Hello again honeys
Well, here we are on day three of the lovely Bailey Jean's Blogtember Challenge.  Have you joined in yet?  Today's prompt is:

Sept 3rd: "When I grow up I want to be...." Feel free to answer as your 5-year-old self or as of now.

As a middle aged lady I approached this topic with a smile. I'm as wise as I'm likely to get, and that's not very I'm afraid.  Taking the hypothesis at face value though, that I can still at my age "grow up" then yes, I'm willing to admit that there are some improvements to be made, and even some maturing or "growing up" to be done, even at my age.

Dr Who Figuirine Collection Issue 27: Ninth Doctor

Disclaimer: I have not been paid to promote any products, I was just really excited by a surprise gift from my dear hubby and wanted to share.

Hi honeys,
I am completely and stupidly excited! Just when I think hubby can't get any more perfect! look what he brought home for me tonight.....

Blogtember Challenge - Day 2: 10 Things That Make Me Happy :)

Hello again honeys,
So today it's day two of the blog-tember challenge from the lovely Bailey Jean at Brave Love  Have you joined in yet? If so, do leave me a link in the comments section so that I can read your posts too?

Today's assignment is:
"Sept 2nd: Write about what makes you happy, from the little joys to the huge game-changers."

This is such a wonderful idea for a post, so I've decided to share 10 things that make me happy :) I blogged this once before, although previously I listed 32 things that make me happy, what can I say, I'm a cheery person :)

Blogtember Challenge! Day 1: About The Author

Hi Honeys
I need to get back to blogging. I adore my tiny little space on the internet. It's a place I can share recipes, thoughts, even our organizing journey in our home. I'm sorry I've been neglectful these past weeks, thank you so much for understanding and for your support. It has been very much appreciated honeys xx

Has everyone heard yet of the lovely Bailey Jean's Blog-Tember Challenge? If you haven't read Bailey Jean's blog yet, please do visit and say hello.

Join the Blog-tember Challenge Here

Baily Jean has supplied a list of prompts for each day of September and the first of these is as follows:

"Sept 1st: Imagine the front sleeve of a hard cover novel. Give us your "About the Author" so we can get to know one another, and for fun tell us what your imaginary novel would be about."

This was such fun!  Here is my "about the author" page :)