Lifestyle

I love You Tube 10 of my favourite channels

October 17, 2018

Before I retired I rarely watched You Tube, apart from watching something Manchester City related or a ‘how to’ video after googling for an answer to a particular problem.

Now I’m a little obsessed and for a while preferred to watch You tube Video’s over TV whilst at home during the day. I still treat myself to a brew in bed with YouTube one morning during the week. Often Monday as a treat for not having to go out to work anymore. Spoiled I know!

I watch so many and as well as regular You Tube channels that I am subscribed to I can get lost watching new channels that are recommended to me.

I’ve decided to share 10 and it was hard to narrow it down to only 10. So here goes!

Sparklyblonde1 – This is Faith from Michigan in USA and one of the 1st I followed regularly. I love her home, especially her office and make up room! I have 2 rooms that I can rename the same but they certainly don’t look like her. My office is full of Ebay clutter, but I’m working on the other! Faith is obsessed with Fall and Christmas this means she often posts infrequently during other times of the years. I don’t mind though as I recognise that now. Plus she has the cutest dogs!

HotandFlashy – Angie is an over 50’s Vlogger from USA and yes her channel is about age appropriate beauty products, the menopause, fashion and food. She has a lovely figure so some of her clothing looks are not suitable for my short dumpy frame – but hey I can dream. I used to love her Foundation Friday posts.

HowJenDoesIt – Jen is another US Vlogger who talks about Organisation. If you will have seen some of my earlier posts, particularly my post about moving house, you will know that since taking early retirement I have become a little obsessed with organisation. I was too knackered when working. I love it now, I do feel that an organised house does lead to calmness and a more productive life.

Clutterbug – This lovely, bubbly Vlogger is Cassandra from Canada. She is a stay at home mom who vlogs about decluttering and home organisation plus cleaning tips. She is adorable, such a sunny personality and manner about her. Rapidly becoming one of my favourites out there.

Caroline (Mrs M) – Caroline Matthews is an English Vlogger who has just turned 50. She is an Ebay reseller and a lifestyle vlogger. She appears to ahve quite an affluent lifestyle but does love a bargain and seems to like so many similar things to me. As an Ebay reseller myself I also pick up hints and tips from her.

Carla Jenkins – Carla is an absolutely hilarious and crazy Ebay reseller. I enjoy watching what she picks up to resell. She has recently been doing a live chat on a Sunday lunchtime. Never fails to make me laugh.

Nic and Andrea Hills – This lovely couple are very successful Ebay resellers and are a mine of information for other sellers starting out. I have learned and still do learn so much from them.

It’s Em – Emma is a UK based lifestyle vlogger. She posts a weekend vlog plus other regular vlogs about lifestyle and plus size fashion. I was introduced to her by Caroline Mrs, who mentioned that she liked her. She is a lovely girl and includes her husband Chris in the Vlogs too. A really enjoyable Vlogger who discusses many things and includes Travel too.

Emma Drew – Emma is another English vlogger who is a brand ambassador for Poundland. She also talks about money making and money saving plus how to build a blog. Now I’m retired I am much more money savvy. I am currently undertaking coaching sessions from Emma to help me build and grow my blog. An excellent teacher.

EECC Travel – whilst planning my recent cruise trip I was looking for cruise related video’s. A lot of the UK ones were pure information and ship tours. This lovely American couple vlog about their many cruises and there are a lot of fun clips in their vlogs as well as great hints and tips. They really promote the fun and relaxation as well as entertainment that can be had on a cruise line. Plus they have THE BEST theme tune in my opinion.

Well those are my current top 10. I hope you find at least one of these to follow too. Do you l you love You Tube? If so please recommend others that I can follow too. Also I have started my own channel but it’s been stop start as my editing and filming skill are not quite there yet maybe someone can point me in the direction of a good youtube course or editing course.

This post is part of the Blogtober18 initiative hosted by Mandi at Big Family Organised Chaos please click the logo below to learn more and see other bloggers involved.

The story behind my old photo

October 14, 2018

Myself as a young nurse taken around 1986

This photograph is of me as a young nurse taken around 1986 when I was around 26 years old.

It was in an era when we wore more traditional uniforms and caps. I was a staff nurse working on a Special Care Baby Unit. It was a time when I really loved my job, everything about it was fabulous. I never wanted to miss a day at work and would change shifts or stay late at a drop of a hat. I was so dedicated.

Don’t get me wrong I remained dedicated throughout my 38 years career but conditions changed and also I became weary. Added to this the menopausal brain fuzz meant I was not as mentally sharp as I wanted to be. This was one of the most important issues that influenced my decision to take early retirement.

Those of us who are old enough to have worn caps will admit to having loved them and would wear them again. There was a formality about status and rank then. The stripes on your cap reflected your seniority and status. There was nothing better than gaining another stripe after completing another complete years training or earning a promotion. It was your badge of honour.

I could write many posts about my life as a nurse and no doubt I will. This one is just about this snapshot in my career. Very happy memories of hard work, comradeship and having the privilege to look after sick newborns and helping their families out in difficult times.

I love looking back at old photographs do you? Than you for dropping by.

This post is part of the current Blogtober18 initiative.

Click the logo below to see more posts from other bloggers taking part

TV Review – What am I watching in October?

October 12, 2018

If you’ve read my earlier post about what I love about Autumn you’ll see that one of my favourite things is cosy evenings at home watching TV.

TV drama’s tend to increase in quantity and improve in quality during autumn.

Here’s what I am watching.

10 Days in the Valley

This is a series I found on Sky. It seemed to have gone under a lot of people’s radar. The main character Jane Sadler is played by Kyra Sedgwick. It is set in Los Angeles. Sadler is a TV writer and producer and her daughter is abducted. It is quite a slow burner with many characters and many twists and turns. I enjoyed it, although I appreciate it could have moved on a little faster. I like to have a series to watch in snatches either with a morning cuppa in bed or whilst ironing. (For information we have sky multiroom and I iron in my bedroom so I can put away as I go!). I have also read that there were plans for further series but it was axed after this first one. Overall I enjoyed it and found the end a complete surprise, which is always good.

The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair

Again this is another series on Sky. As you can tell Sky is my go to TV provider! I found this as Sky promoted it on the TV guide opening page. It probably caught my attention as I recognised Patrick Dempsey from Greys Anatomy. Possibly my favourite TV series ever! This is still showing and has not yet reached completion. I am enjoying it. The story when it started looked an open and shut case as they say, however as it is progressing there are a lot more layers to the plot. The scenery and setting is spectacular. I’m hooked!

Soaps

No apologies for putting these here. Both Mr Fitz and I enjoy watching the soaps. Our regular viewings are Coronation Street, obviously as it’s set in my home city of Manchester it’s not to be missed. The soap was born the same year that I was! Yes, it’s THAT old! Others are Emmerdale and Eastenders. Also we dip in and out of Neighbours.

Football

Again no apologies as a female who is obsessed with football I love watching the beautiful game on TV. When I retired I treated us to a large 55 inch TV. Football looks fabulous on it, especially on a dark evening. As my fantastic team Manchester City are reigning Premiership champions I get to watch some fabulous away games from the comfort of my sofa. As a season ticket holder I go to watch home games in my seat at the stadium. Even though I am passionate about my team I enjoy watching any game or team. I just love the sport.

I am an avid watcher of TV and there are many more programmes we watch but these are my top ones for this month.

Do you have any favourites or suggestions for me based on my choices?

Thank you for stopping by and reading, while you are here why not pop over to and look what others involved in the initiative #Blogtober18 hosted by Mandi at Big Family Organised Chaos

Sarah Beth Blogs

Kristines Blog

Tea & Cake for the Soul

3 Autumn Photo’s and Memories #Blogtober18 Day 11

October 11, 2018

Today’s post as part of the #Blogtober18 initiative hosted by Mandi from Big Family Organised Chaos is about autumn photo’s from my memories.

I love this time of year and have some fabulous photo’s. I’ve chosen 3 to share and discuss.

Number 1 is a photograph taken in October 2016 whilst at a family wedding in Lake Vyrnwy in Wales. There is a hotel and wedding venue at the lake. This brings back great memories of quality family time with all of my closest family present. This is a fabulous setting with spectacular views around the lake. The colours in autumn reflected in the lake are lovely. The lake was built in 1880 to provide a water supply to Liverpool. The hotel itself has a spa and some rooms have balconies with magnificent views. It has a warm friendly atmosphere. WE hope to visit again.

This second photo was taken in late September 2010 in Las Vegas. I know it’s not a traditional autumn image but it’s one that holds great memories. We were holidaying in Las Vegas to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. It was a lovely warm balmy evening and we were dining on a terrace overlooking the famous Bellagio Fountains. We have visited Las Vegas four times.

This third photo shows a tree in autumn colours at their most magnificent. It was taken in Central Park New York in 2008. It was our first ever visit to New York at the end of October for my husbands 50th birthday. This photograph was taken during a leisurely stroll around Central Park on the last day of our holiday before flying home. We were catching an evening flight and took this stroll around the park, The colours were the best that autumn has to offer.

Do you have any fabulous photos that capture autumn and special moments in your life?

Please take a look at some of the other bloggers involved in this promotion

Sarah Beth Blogs

Tea & Cake for the Soul

Kristine’s Blog

Thanks for stopping by, please take a look back at some of my previous pots and please come back tomorrow for my next post

Books I loved from childhood

October 9, 2018

Autumn is a time for cosy evenings in curled up on the sofa. I sadly never seem to read as much as I would like to, I probably manage 1 book about every 4-6 weeks, except when I’m on holiday when I can read 2-3 in a week.

When I was a child though I spent a lot of time on my own – my only sibling a brother is 11 years older than me. I always had my head in a book, I could never read them fast enough.

This has prompted me to look back at some of my favourite childhood books.

Enid Blyton Mystery Series – I read every one of this set. I still love a good mystery book today. To be honest I loved any book by Enid Blyton

Little Women by Louisa M Alcott – I have lost count of the number of times I read this beautiful story. I was engrossed by all the girls in the March family and their romantic interests.

What Katie Did by Susan Coolridge – another great classic about a girl with real spirit.

Agatha Christie And Then There Were None – this seems a strange book to add to a childhood collection, but I moved on to Agatha Christie around the age of 13. My brother had a large collection of her books. This was the first ‘grown-up’ book I read. Again I have remained a huge Agatha Christie fan to this day.

This post is part of the #Blogtober18 linky hosted by Mandi from Big Family Organised Chaos

Others taking part are Sarah Beth Blogs Katrines Blog and Tea and cake for the Soul

Thank you for stopping by – also please take a look at what the other participants have posted

Spooky Films – love them or hate them?

October 6, 2018

October and Halloween isn’t the same without spooky films to watch. I know some people absolutely love this genre of movie.

If I am truthful I am not a fan, give me an old vintage black and white Hollywood movie any day, all love songs and unrequited love without sex or bloodshed! But the good old Hammer House of horror vintage scary is OK. Very tame by todays standards.

This does not mean I do not watch any scary spooky films, it’s just that I have to be in the right frame of mind. I’m such a lightweight I’m spooked by films that other’s wouldn’t even dream of finding scary! I can never forget the first time I watched Robert De Niro in Cape Fear, the 1991 film. His character portrayal of Max Cady scared the crap out of me. The way he stalked and watched them, I was scared of looking out of my kitchen window in the dark n case he was there looking in at me! And then there was Anthony Hopkins as Dr Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs! This film was so hyped up before it was released, so much emphasis given on the fact he was a cannibal – good old Hannibal the Cannibal. I saw this at the cinema and remember myself sinking further and further into my seat towards the end when he was out at large. One of the most imposing images to me ever is Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling walking down the corridor in the jail to find Hannibal stood inside his cell. It may be dated now but I thought it was electric! I’m showing my age now aren’t I. In fact I can even remember the original Exorcist with Linda Blair starring. It took me ages to summon up the courage to watch this on video! yes, its that old. I have to admit I did not find it as as scary as anticipated.

I realise I’m digressing a bit, (as usual), but I’m just setting the scene to show how easily scared and freaked out I ma not just by traditional classic spook films. I’m not helped by Mr Fitz either, if I’m watching something scary, he waits until I’m engrossed and transfixed then throws a cushion at me or if I go to the loo in an ad break he waits outside and jumps out at me! I scream like mad, and I know he’s going to do it. I’m totally hopeless.

Researching for this post I looked at a few lists of top 100 Horror movies and I could count on one hand the number I think I have watched. The spooky films that really get me involve dolls and clowns believe it or not, they scare me witless.

So in summary I probably err on the side of hating spooky films as a whole. I certainly don’t have one lined up for Halloween viewing

How about you are you a lover or a hater of spooky films? Do you have any to recommend?

This post is part of Blogtober2018 click the link to read more from other bloggers taking part

Updating your autumn fashion look for the over 50’s

October 4, 2018

Today my post is about autumn fashion for the over 50’s. In my mother and definitely my grandmothers era reaching your fifties meant comfort, elasticated waists and sensible hush puppy shoes. These days we still have a lot of living to do and busy social lives. Although we are older and many do not still have the figures and measurements of our youth we still wish to keep up with trends and fashion and care for our appearance.

With this in mind this autumn I want to recommend some simple pieces for updating your look. The seasons autumn fashion colours are actually autumnal shades with lots of mustard and russet shades around alongside the softer pinks and greys and the staple wardrobe basic of black. By saying this I am making an assumption that a lot of us over 50’s who carry extra weight have many black items in our wardrobes!

Here is just 4 age appropriate autumn fashion pieces that have caught my eye this season.

Before I introduce some of this seasons latest colours I have to give a shout out to this fabulous soft pink sparkly poncho by Principles at Debenhams. I spotted it on a hanger and fell in love with it, such a soft knit with a hint of sparkle. The photograph does not do it justice – it really is gorgeous and feels super soft. Perfect for the menopausal woman who needs to layer up to cope with the effects of those personal tropical moments!

A gorgeous soft pink poncho perfect for layering

Soft pink poncho with sparkle

This next top is again from Debenhams – I must confess that after supermarkets and Next I buy many of my clothes from here.This tan short sleeved shirt from J by Jasper Conran caters so well for the over 50’s.

J by Jasper Conran top

This top is in a fabulous autumnal colour. It has a flattering v nexk for those of us with big boobs. It is soft and drapey skimming those lumps and bumps we try hard to disguise and is nice and lightweight, perfect for layering – essential to cope with hot flushes. A simple stylish autumn fashion piece.

Camel coloured ankle boots Wallis

These fabulous camel coloured ankle boots are from another of my favourite stores Wallis. I mostly wear very comfortable shoes day to day but I always have a dressier heeled pair for days and nights out when I’m not expecting to have to walk any distance. These will look fabulous with cropped pants, jeans or even dresses.

My final item is this fabulous on trend mustard coloured coat from Matalan. I think this is a flattering style for most body shapes and adds a seasonal colour pop to any outfit for any occasion. Great price too.

Mustard Formal Belted coat Matalan

I hope you like the items I have chosen, This post is part of my Blogtober schedule, have a look at this post to see what else I have already and will be posting about.

My Blogtober schedule is in collaboration with other bloggers including Sarah Beth Blogs and hosted by Mandi at Big Family Organised Chaos

Take a look at what else is being written about by clicking the link below

How to avoid weight gain Cruising, Eating and Exercise

October 3, 2018

This post is about avoiding excessive weight gain whilst on holiday. You may have read that I have recently returned from my first ever cruise holiday. It was my present to my husband for his 60th Birthday. We sailed with P & O on Oceana around Greece. We loved it! In fact we have booked two further cruises with the same company.

The one thing that everyone talks about with cruise holidays is the amount and quality of food available and consumed. Mr Fitz and I are real foodies and live to eat, but we are also conscious of increasing weight gain as we age. I particularly struggle, particularly with menopausal weight gain around the middle, something I describe in an earlier post. We wanted to enjoy all the food on offer but not suffer the consequences of too much weight gain to deal with on our return.

I enjoyed all the fabulous food and cocktails on offer, in fact, if I’m brutally honest the largest proportion of my calories were from the delicious cocktails. I don’t think we over indulged, enjoying a full cooked breakfast every day, only lunching or snacking in the middle of the day on a couple of days, but enjoyed a full evening dinner. We rarely had room for a dessert and only visited the late buffet on one occasion.

Here's a sample of a delicious dish on board Oceana

Fabulous food Creamy Malaysian Prawn Curry

On our return I was so pleased to weigh myself and discover that my weight gain was only 1lb – RESULT!

How did I manage this – did I have a secret weapon?

The answer is Exercise! Mr Fitz and I took measures to remain active as damage limitation.

We packed fitness clothing – I packed 1 pair of fitness leggings, my sports bra (essential for my big boobs!), 2 tops and trainers.
We used the on board gym. It was well equipped with an area for weights and lots of cardio equipment. The exercise bikes and treadmills all faced out through tinted full length windows to sea. We didn’t necessarily attend the gym together. On a couple of occasions other activities meant we attended separately.
I’ve been promising myself that I would take up yoga, not just for fitness but to help with my chronic back problem and joint problems, again something I have talked about in a precious post. There were yoga classes available and I took the opportunity to join in whilst on the cruise. I really enjoyed it and have been to a further class at my local gym since my return.
Daily we took a brisk walk around the promenade deck. There was a sign informing passengers that 3.2 laps around this deck equaled 1 mile. Most days we managed minimum 2 miles. A really enjoyable walk and one enjoyed by many other passengers.
On port days off the ship we too the opportunity to walk as much as possible around the places we visited. We visited the ports independently rather than taking organised trips. I wore my pedometer and recorded walking distances of around 4 miles on average per port.

There was a fully equippedcfitness suite on board Oceana

On board fitness suite

In summary we were eager to enjoy the fabulous food served on our Cruise but managed to counteract any excesses by planning to exercise using the facilities available and walking as much as possible to avoid any excessive weight gain. Being active and devoting time to this did not detract from our fabulous holiday.

Has anyone got any further hints on tips how to enjoy your cruise holiday to the full whilst minimising the effects of extra calories? Let me know or email me. I love to learn new strategies.

This post is part of Well Being Wednesday linky and Blogtober2018. If you like this post you may wish to read my schedule for the rest of the month

Why not take a look at some of the other sites involved in Blogtober2018

Kristine’s Blog

Big Family Organised Chaos

Sarah Beth Blogs

Tea and Cake for the Soul

Thank you for popping by

Favourite things about autumn – my top 5#Blogtober2018

October 2, 2018

Autumn is my favourite time of year – it always has been and the approach of winter holds no fear for me at all.

Here are 5 of my favourite things I love about Autumn (there are more but I don’t want to bore you!)

Sunny days with that lovely crisp bite of coolness in the air. I’m fair skinned and although I have loved this summers heatwave there is something about the clear skies that arrive in early autumn making it my favourite time of year.
My wedding anniversary – I got married on September 28th in 1985 – yes a long time ago! Obviously I love this date in autumn when I can celebrate another year of happiness with Mr Fitz. The year we got married it had rained all summer, but the sun shone on our happy day, in fact it was a perfect kind of day like the one described above. In fact apart from only 1 year in our 33 year marriage it has been sunny on our anniversary. A perfect autumn day with my favourite person.
The colours of nature. In my opinion there is nothing more beautiful than the colours of the trees as the season changes. Designers and graphic artists try so hard to recreate fabulous visual images but that clever lady Old Mother Nature manages it all by herself without any technology. There is nothing nicer than a favourite long walk in the crisp air surrounded by the beautiful autumn colours.
Football – yes I know it’s not everyone’s favourite sport but if you’ve read about me you’ll know I’m a massive football fan and my whole social life revolves around supporting Manchester City. Although I watch any football I can. In Autumn the UK football season is in full flow. Wall to wall Manchester City. Premier League fixtures every week, apart from International breaks when the National teams play – which I dislike. Then there are Champions League fixtures inter spaced with The Carbao Cup. I love it, not only visiting the stadium but watching on TV. This leads me nicely onto my next love
Cosy nights in. I absolutely love Autumn for these. My favourite possession is my home. We bought this house after I retired, using some of my Pension Pot to buy this dream home. Even though I have a busy social life I love being at home as much as possible. Autumn brings the opportunity for cosy nights in. What I love is subdued lighting, candles and sitting with Mr Fitz watching fabulous TV. TV drama’s increase in number at this time of year. Autumn brings one fabulous show after another. I prefer drama’s to the usual crop of reality shows such as X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Having said that following retirement I have watched every series of Great British Bake Off. I watch in awe at the contestants creations.

Those are 5 favourites in a nutshell, but if you want to know more I have previously written more about why I love Autumn.

This post is part of Blogtober18 in the blogging community. Do you like Autumn? Or are you a summer person, let me know comment or email me. I love to hear other peoples likes and dislikes.

Here are some of the other blogger involved in this campaign. Pop over and take a look at their posts

http://bigfamilyorganisedchaos.com/

Sarah Beth Blogs

Tea and Cake for the Soul

Kristine’s Blog

Thanks for popping by I really appreciate it

Celebrations, Organisation and Planning My October Goals

October 1, 2018

October is an exciting month as Mr Fitz celebrates his 60th Birthday. A milestone birthday and I cannot believe that lovely boy I married is now this age. Time really does fly when you’re enjoying yourself. My main goal is to ensure he has a great day and plenty of other celebrations.

Celebrations

The main part of Mr Fitz’s Birthday Present was our first cruise holiday last month with P and O Cruises. John is not one for expensive possessions and gadgets, preferring experiences that make memories. Because of that I paid for the cruise as my gift to him. He also does not like to be the centre of attention so we have no party plans but I have arranged a night away for him on the night of his birthday. he knows I have booked somewhere but doesn’t know where. My main goal is that I can keep the venue a surprise and make his birthday celebrations special.

I have a nice bottle of champagne chilling for our celebratios

Cheers – here’s to 60 years!

Organisation and Admin

I did not manage to complete my HMRC self assessment last month, therefore I really must get it done in October amongst all the birthday celebrations.

My organisational goal is to begin to streamline my wardrobe. I aim to develop a capsule or minimalistic wardrobe. I won’t manage to complete this in one moth but to satrt I am going to sort through my coats and jackets this month and decide which items to keep. The remaining I will either donate to charity, the homeless or sell on ebay.

Fitness

I have been intending to start Yoga classes for a while and I took the opportunity of taking a class on board our Cruise. This sparked me on to take a yoga class as part of my gym membership. I loved both classes so my goal in October is to attend a class once a week in October.

Blogging

This year for the first time I am taking part in Blogtober, a moth where I publish a post every day and engage with other bloggers. Read more about my plans and schedule here

Again, I’m keeping them short and sweet again because of Birthday celebrations.

September Update

Just before I go I’ll provide a quick update of what I achieved from my September goals.

Holiday

Well firstly I cannot speak highly enough of how much we enjoyed our Cruise Holiday with P and O Cruises on the Oceana. It was so enjoyable that we have booked a further two with them! I will let you know much more about our experiences in a series of blog posts to come!

Enjoying a Tropical themed evening on board Oceana

Fitness

I have continued to attend the gym for a mixture of cardio and weights 3 times a week. Also as you can see from my September goals I attended a Yoga session on the cruise ship and really enjoyed it, from this I plan to continue with a class a week. I hope as well as fitness it will help my chronic back problem.

Admin

The quest to complete my HMRC self assessment continues, the less said the better – onwards and upwards!

Celebrate

We had a very enjoyable afternoon and evening celebrating our 33rd Wedding Anniversary, it was helped by a prize win of a £50 bar tab at a local cocktail venue!

Blogging

I have managed to post once a week apart from the week I was on the ship – not yet got the hang of scheduling or got far enough in front with writing post! I also mostly managed to post on Instagram daily from this and my sister blog – beespiesandrainyskies.info

That’s it for now so I’m off to prepare and write content for my very ambitious plan of joining in with Blogtober. Also take a look at other bloggers who are also involved and I am collaborating with

BigFamilyOrganisedChaos

Sarah Beth Blogs

Tea and Cake for the Soul

Kristine’s Blog

Please let me know what you have achieved or are planning or any hints and tips you may have to help me achieve mine, especially the dreaded HMRC self assessment. I love to hear from you, I love to read your comments or you can always contact me by email

Lifestyle

10 Days in the Valley

Soaps

Football

Celebrations

Organisation and Admin

Fitness

Blogging

September Update

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