Early Retirement Rocks

Seeing life from a new perspective. The best job I ever had!

Retirement

Product Review – Serious Readers Alex Light is it worth it?

Title caption product review

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and we received this lamp for free to review. This does not prejudice or affect my review. All opinions are honest and our own. 

I was approached by Serious Readers to trial one of their products. You may have read some of my earlier posts including ways to keep healthy over 50 and that I am always looking at ways to combat changes in normal function as my body increase in years and find ways to minimise the impact.

I am updating the original post to confirm that I have been using this lamp continually for over a year now and still find it to be fabulous and I note it is getting promoted more on TV. In the current climate of staying home and people are concentrating on original hobbies or taking up new ones, I still highly recommend this to optimise your lighting.

One change that I have noticed is in my eyesight. I have always worn contact lenses for astigmatism but in recent years I have noticed changes in my ability to see in poor quality light. This has caused me to be unable to wear them in low light and have been wearing varifocal glasses, which provide a much sharper image. However, I still note there is a difference in subdued lighting, and I love to have table lamps on in the evening instead of the full room light. I love the cosy ambiance these provide.

When reading or trying to complete a crossword I already struggle and either have to put the large room ceiling light on (The big light as Peter Kay calls it!) or use supplementary light from the torch on my mobile phone.

People don’t always realise that as they age, less and less light gets through to
the retina making it harder to see detail and read in comfort. This is why the people at Serious Readers, created a range of high performance reading lights using bespoke Daylight Wavelength Technology™ to allow people to see with amazing clarity and true
colour. They claim “We bring the natural light close to the daylight our eyes are built to use”

In my career as a neonatal nurse I have used similar lights to enable me to perform intricate procedures, such as venous cannulation on neonates, and I found them to be invaluable.

When I was approached by Serious Readers to trial one of their Alex lights I was more than happy to do so. 

Serious Readers Alex Floor standing lamp

About Serious Readers

The company’s literature states that recent research shows that poor quality light not only  causes eyestrain but can also damage eyes and interfere with your sleep. Too much short wave-length blue light poses a risk to the highly sensitive retina.

The absence of a harmful blue light spike in their technology eradicates the risk of damage to the retina and minimises disturbance to our body clocks. The Serious design, with a stay put flexible arm and rotating swivel joints mean the light can be set up just in the right position for you, so it takes the strain not you. Our sight dominates our sensory perception and we can’t help ourselves but subconsciously adjust our posture and strain to try and see clearly.

Serious Readers Alex Light

The Alex light is suitable for:

  • Reading books
  • Reading larger publications, (magazines, newspapers)
  • Hobbies involving colour (artwork, needlework)

Our opinion on the Serious Reader Alex Light

I say ‘our’ opinion because although the product was sent to me to review, my husband uses it the most and absolutely loves it! He’s hogging it daily for reading his newspaper, he has been constantly complaining that news print is getting smaller! 

The Serious Reader Alex Light comes as either a floor lamp or a table lamp, their is also a choice of colours. We chose a floor standing model in white. It looks neat and sleek, taking up little floor space.

The lamp arrived in a very large cardboard box, almost as tall as me! Once the box was opened I was delighted to find that it did not require any assembly – always a huge bonus.

Serious Readers Floor Lamp in packaging

Serious Readers Floor Lamp arrived ready assembled and well packaged

A feature I liked was a cord holder – a rubber case where excess flex can be wrapped round and secured to reduce any trip hazard and unsightly wires.

The head of the lamp is very small but hugely powerful. Our living room has 2 sofa’s and myself and Mr Fitz sit on one each most of the time. The lamp is so powerful that we can change the angle to suit whichever one of us wishes to use it without moving the lamp. 

Man reading newspaper from light of Serious Readers Alex Light

I have been able to complete crosswords easily without resorting to the torch from my mobile and Mr Fitz has been able to read comfortably without squinting and bringing the newspaper up to his face. I was going to relocate the lamp after this trial up to my home office but it is staying put in the living room as John is such a fan of it too. 

Evaluation

At around £299 the floor lamp appears expensive but if like us you are suffering with reduced vision in poor quality lighting, it is worth the price in our opinion. There was nothing we didn’t like about it. If you have an elderly relative who has given up hobbies due to the inability to see what they are doing, this would make an ideal gift, it could restore their enjoyment in leisure activities they once loved. In fact any family or friend over 60 who complains of “newsprint shrinking” or “lightbulbs not being what they were” please tell them about this fabulous product. 

If you wish to see the light in action please check out my video review on YouTube

 

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The Mrs Hinch effect is positive in my opinion

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The Mrs Hinch effect is positive in my opinion – a bold statement but continue reading and I’ll explain why

The Mrs Hinch effect

I’m writing this from an age perspective, meaning reflecting on previous times in my life I can compare to the current times of the Mrs Hinch effect. In case any of you don’t know Mrs Hinch is a successsful influencer who shares her passion for cleaning and keeping her house sparkling and tidy.

My mother was houseproud to a point but it was more about the old trend of “keeping up with the Jones’s” – you could say that was an earlier version of the Mrs Hinch effect. In my mum’s case it was more about having the latest on trend decor, clothes, furnishings or accessories. Her cleaning routine was not always her main priority. As someone who can always find positives in any situation at least I developed a good immune system!

As times moved on there was a time when there were many TV programmes showing you how to decorate and revamp your home, the emphasis was on doing it but not on maintaining it.

The Mrs Hinch Effect

My habits

When I was working full time as a senior Neonatal Nurse, working long unsocial shifts I was often too tired and exhausted to do any more than the basics of cleaning that was needed to keep my house tidy.

Since retirement I have become a bit of a cleaning freak. With my new found freedom I watch hours of youtube vloggers who share their tips for keeping a clean and tidy decluttered home. I adopt some of their hints and tips – but don’t get me wrong my house is nice but in no way a show home like some of theirs. The Mrs Hinch effect has gradually crept in, I think I was a bit later than many discovering her. However, she appears to be one of the most famous and influential.

a clean kitchen The Mrs Hinch effect

My kitchen

Why I think it is positive

I think the Mrs Hinch effect is positive as it has created a whole movement of house proud people who are cleaning away merrily. Yes there is still an element of competitiveness and showing off but if it promotes good habits and cleanliness then that is a big yes in my mind. It was horrible growing up as a child with an untidy house that you didn’t want your friends to see.

Possibly there was a time in society where house cleaning and tidyness was low on the agenda of many people who were depressed, anxious and dissatisfied with their lives. The cleaning movement can provide purpose to a persons day and can introduce structure and habits. I’ve certainly found having a good cleaning routine has helped me through this period of lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak.

Helping with anxiety

Mrs Hinch states that she began cleaning to help her deal with anxiety issues and it helped her mood. As I have bought into the Mrs Hinch effect I agree cleaning does help my mood. I have posted before about how the menopause has affected my life, one side effect has been a degree of anxiety that I haven’t suffered with before. Cleaning and decluttering really does make you feel better. It’s so satisfying and occupies you to stop you worrying or overthinking anything. Plus you have a great sense of pride at seeing your home looking good. I found a video on youtube where a psychotherapist has described why cleaning and tidying does help with anxiety.

a cupboard containing cleaning products demonstrating the Mrs Hinch effect

The Mrs Hinch effect – My bathroom cleaning products

Just as a side note many of the products recommended and used by those who have bought into the Mrs Hinch effect have been around for years and were used by my own mum, they’ve just been revamped and rebranded – 2 such are Zoflora and Stardrops. I’m fascinated to see them being touted as the best thing ever as if they’ve just been discovered, I’m sure the company’s are too with their increase in popularity and revenue. This gives me an idea for a new post – my favourite products!

There are many Facebook groups sharing ideasI am a member of one called We Love Mrs Hinch – if its something you’re interested in I suggest you join  in and take a peek as there are many posts by members of how they have decorated or cleaned. Inspirational and the positive thing is that unlike my mum’s day when keeping up with your neighbours was costly – buying the latest decor. These days the Mrs Hinch effect is positive in that many people do fabulous things on a budget from bargain stores like B&M bargains. This reduces the pressure of cost, in fact it’s often the opposite how to improve your home as cheaply as possible.

Thanks for popping by, let me know what you think of the cleaning craze and the Mrs Hinch effect are you a follower or do you find it irritating. I love to read your comments.

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Easy fruit scones – Mary Berry Recipe

Easy Fruit Scones a blog [

I have been baking a lot during lockdown and after a few failures I searched for an easy fruit scone recipe and came across one from Mary Berry.

You may have read my earlier post about how I’ve been reducing food waste during lockdown and that I enjoy cooking my own meals from scratch.

My mum was a fabulous baker making delicious scones in minutes as well as fabulous steamed puddings. I envied how quickly she could throw ingredients together to make such delicious goodies. She taught me a lot about cooking and at school, (many moons ago), Domestic Science as it was called then was my favourite subject and one of my best!

I think I’m quite a good cook but whenever I make a batch of scones they never rise as much as I would like and just don’t taste as good as shop bought ones. Mr Fitz likes a scone and even better when they are freshly baked form the oven and still warm. Now he’s retired I decided I would search for a new recipe or technique which would improve the taste of my scones. I have many cook books but decided to Google for a recipe for easy fruit scones.

I found one from Mary Berry and I love it. It is a quick easy fruit scone recipe and I’ve used it several times now and each time they come out exactly how I want them to be. In fact  during a video chat amongst a group of friends the weekend before last, one of my friends who also has baked for many years commented that she too had been baking more but her scones were not as she would like.  I pointed her in the direction of the Mary Berry recipe and she too has rejoiced at how lovely they are.

Therefore I felt I wanted to share this recipe for easy fruit scones with my readers.

Mary Berry’s fruit scones

Cooking Time 10 minutes  Makes 10 scones

Ingredients

  • 75g (2 1⁄2 oz) butter, chilled and cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
  • 350g (12oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
  • 30g (1oz) caster sugar
  • 75g (2 1⁄2oz) sultanas
  • About 150ml (5fl oz) milk
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Easy Fruit Scones

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/425°F/Gas 7). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Put the flour and baking powder into a large chilled mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, keeping all the ingredients as cold as possible.

Rub in lightly and quickly with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and sultanas.

Pour 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) of the milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg into the flour mixture.

Mix together with a round-bladed knife to a soft, but not too sticky dough, adding a bit more milk if needed to mop up any dry bits of mixture in the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, lightly knead just a few times only until gathered together, then gently roll and pat out to form a rectangle about 2cm (3⁄4in) deep.

Cut out as many rounds as possible from the first rolling with a 6cm (21⁄2in) cutter (a plain cutter is easier to use than a fluted one) and lay them on the baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.

Gather the trimmings, then roll and cut out again. Repeat until you have 10 scones.

Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved egg. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Per serving

Calories: 238
Saturated fat: 5g
Unsaturated fat: 4g
Sodium: 275mg

Ingredients for fruit scones

 

Fruit scones on a baking tray before cooking

Brushed with egg before baking

 

They are delicious easy fruit scones in fact I have baked another batch this afternoon, and we enjoyed them sat in the garden still warm with butter that was melting. We had run out of jam and to be honest we usually just prefer them with butter alone.

scones fresh from the oven

Fresh from the oven

A fruit scone with butter on top

But before I go I must answer the age old question if we do serve with jam and cream which way do I prefer? I’m a jam first then cream kind of a gal….

Try this recipe and let me know what you think. Do you have a tried and tested recipe for anything that you love – let me know in the comments if you do. Also please take a look at what  I’ve been reading in lockdown

Keep staying safe.

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Book recommendations – What’s on my kindle May 2020

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I have been reading so much during lockdown and I thought I would share with you what’s on my kindle, what I have read recently and maybe inspire you with some choices and make some book recommendations.

I used to spend hours as a child reading, friends and family always commented that I was never seen without a book in my hand.

More recently I found that reading got pushed further back in my priorities and I only read on holiday. Whilst on holiday with friends in 2015 my roommate had a newer version of Kindle than I had. It was slimmer and lighter and just dropped into her handbag. When I retired from my nursing career a few months later I treated myself to the latest version. Since then I do tend to carry it when travelling and using public transport. I created a Whattsapp group for friends who have similar likes to me and we share book recommendations

But still the number of books I was reading was much less than I would have liked. In 2018 I think I read around 6 books in total. Last year I decided to set myself a target of reading 30 books. I failed to keep records of the books I read but even though I had read many more than 6 I know I did not read 30 – maybe 15. But still an improvement.

This year I again set the target of 30 and I’ve been keeping track! The lockdown scenario has really helped me due to the enforced Stay Home message.

A kindle on a garden chair

Where do I find Book recommendations?

A few years ago I was fortunate to be invited by a woman’s magazine to be on a panel reviewing the book recommendations from The Richard and Judy Book Club. We were provided with a full set of that seasons book recommendations and I really enjoyed most of them. As I had a positive experience I use that as a starting point. Before lockdown I will browse the shelves in WH Smith who host the Richard and Judy Book Club initiative and select a few that I fancy. To be honest I take a snapshot of the front with my phone so that I can remember and research in the Kindle Store later.

Anyway that’s the background to my reading habits lets get on with what I have read during lockdown.

Book Recommendations

I have read 10 novels since lockdown began in March and have enjoyed them all.

 

I will list them and at the end recommend my top 5 from the list:

  • For Reasons Unknown the 1st in DCI Matilda Burke series – Michael Wood
  • The Husband’s Secret – Liane Moriarty
  • The Perfectly Imperfect Woman – Milly Johnson
  • The Girlfriend – Michelle Frances
  • Blood Orange – Harriet Tyce
  • The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew – Milly Johnson
  • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie
  • The Strangers Wife – Anna-Lou Weatherley
  • It’s Raining Men – Milly Johnson
  • How to Keep a Secret  – Sarah Morgan

 

My Top 5 book Recommendations from this list are:

 

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I have become a big fan of this author. I have watched Big Little Lies on Sky which I didn’t initailly like but I revisited it and loved it, even though the storyline was dark in places. I have since read another books by Liane – Nine Perfect Strangers. Her signature themes are female friendship, duplicity, the darkness lurking beneath lucky, ordinary suburban lives…The last twist, though, is worth the wait. I found The Husband’s Secret to be the best I’ve read so far. It was fast moving and I was able to quickly build a picture of the characters. I did have a little suspicion of the outcome as the story progressed but could not guess the full ending. Without giving anything away all I will say is that I loved the way she outlined alternative outcomes to the characters lives at the end was a fabulous touch.


I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and in fact I attended a talk about her life and works during a sea day on last years cruise holiday – (if you are planning a cruise you may like to read an example of what we did on another sea day) Her stories are very cleverly crafted and much more intricate in the written form than TV dramatisations portray. Whilst listening to the talk about her works I discovered that this novel had been voted by the British Crime Writers’ Association as the “Best Crime Novel of all Time” Therefore I was intrigued to see why. If you are a seasoned Agatha Christie reader with many of her books you can sometimes speculate to whodunnit before the end. I have to say that I only managed to guess immediately before the killer was revealed. A good read if you like the genre.

If I don’t want to read anything heavy Milly Johnson has become my go to author. I first discovered her when she was a contestant on Come Dine With Me! This again is my favourite of those I have read. Such a delightful story of 3 work colleagues who decide to holiday in a high class Spa in Yorkshire. There is a mix up with the booking and things don’t quite go to plan. They have all got a secret about their current love life. The story is a lovely piece of chic lit with a splashing of fantasy. I didn’t want it to end.

 


This book was recommended to me as I enjoy a good piece of Crime fiction. It introduces DCI Matilda Darke for the first time. A detective with a recent troubled past. She has suffered a couple of trauma’s and feels she has to prove herself to colleagues. It is set in Sheffield. A murder takes place which begins to interlink with a previous cold crime. I love a good whodunnit and this keeps you guessing to the end. If you enjoyed watching the TV drama Happy Valley then I think you will enjoy this.


This was one of the book recommendations from the current Richard and Judy Book Club choices. Obsession, revenge, lust and murder play out on the pages as a female barrister tries to hold her life together while her personality tries to tear it apart. This is a dark thriller with many twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down and Harriet’s next novel is already on my reading list.

I hope you enjoy a taster of what I have been reading and like my book recommendations.

Do you have any book recommendations for me? I need some inspiration as I am mid book at the moment and love to get suggestions to add to me reading list.

I am on 14 books in this years challenge to read 30. I’m hopeful I’ll do it this year.

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Travel Review – What we did on sea days aboard Oceana

Deck of ship with caption what we did on sea days aboard OceanaP&O Cruses was our choice of Cruise line for our first ever cruise holiday. You can read about Day 1 here if you haven’t already. Sea Days on board Oceana are as much a  part of a cruise holiday as Port days visiting new destinations. These days are still packed with things to do.

As I have many fabulous aspects of the holiday to review I decided to break down the whole review into days of the cruise and Ports visited.

Day 2 – sea day

Waking up on Day 2 we were refreshed after our early start and travel the day before. As we had a balcony cabin I was able to open the curtains and look straight out at the view of the sea. I also enjoyed my morning cups of tea on our own personal piece of deck. I say cups of tea as I am a huge tea drinker and need about 3 cups in the morning before I can face the world. A big shout out to P&O for providing proper sized mugs in cabins for a decent drink!

White coffee mug

Praise Be to P&O for a full size mug for my morning brew

Having the balcony door open and feeling the warm sea breeze around the cabin whilst we got ready was lovely. Once ready we went for breakfast in the Ligurian restaurant which was designated for our flexible dining options. There is no dress code during the daytime, and we enjoyed a full English Breakfast with silver service in our shorts. The food and service was impeccable. Staff are friendly and attentive without being cloying and formal.

For the rest of the morning and afternoon we strolled around the ship discovering more of the fabulous activities and facilities to enjoy during Sea Days aboard Oceana. There is an exercise deck which fellow guests can walk around at a brisk pace. A marker on the wall telling you that 3.2 times around the deck equals 1 mile.

Deck sign Walk a Mile

Mr Fitz and I enjoyed the walk daily and loved stopping at the stern to watch the wake flowing behind us. There is also a gym on board and we both used that regularly to counteract the excess calories consumed. I discussed this in an earlier post about how to avoid piling on excess pounds whilst cruising. Of course we took time to sunbathe on deck with another cocktail of course! The weather was stunning. Dare I say it was actually too hot at times for me – there are plenty of areas in the shade to sit and stay comfortable on deck during Sea Days aboard Oceana

Cocktail in glass being held sat on cruise ship deck

It would be rude not to!

The evening of the sea days (Day 2 and 6) is Black Tie dress code. Day 2 is The Captains dinner. Prior to cruising Mr Fitz was initially reluctant to participate in this. I think it’s a grumpy old man thing as it’s something he has done in the past. To ease us into this type of holiday we bought dinner suit trousers and our friend loaned him the use of his Dinner Jacket, luckily they are the same size. Mr Fitz didn’t want to commit to the full expense of the whole suit in case he didn’t enjoy this first P&O cruise holiday and wasn’t something he wanted to do again. For more on this please come back for our final evaluation to come in a future post. I on the other hand had plenty of suitable clothes in my wardrobe!

Mr Fitz scrubbed up very well and looked very handsome – well in my opinion anyway! I chose a knee length royal blue dress with silver accessories. Many ladies wear cocktail dresses, it is not obligatory to wear a long gown.

Man in Dinner Suit and bow tie

Mr Fitz looking dapper

Woman in blue dress taking selfie in mirror

Full length obligatory selfie in the ladies

Woamn in blue dress sat at a abar

Cocktail dresses are OK for Black Tie Captains Dinner – Ball gowns not necessary

Prior to dining everyone participating in the Black Tie dinner gathered in the Atrium for complimentary fizz and the opportunity to have a photograph taken by a member of the ships Photography team. These are available to purchase during your cruise if you like them.

Man and woman in evening wear

Our official Captains Dinner Photo proudly on display at home

The Captain arrives to applause and addresses the gathered diners, there is then an opportunity to have a photograph taken with him too.

On the flexible dining option we had hoped to have a table for 2 for dinner but again we were given a shared table. Again an enjoyable experience. As the cruise progressed we realised that you could request a table for 2 but there could be a delay until one was available.

Again food and service was delicious. Reviews always extol the virtues of the food on cruise ships. P&O proudly advertise this. You may have read in earlier posts that we are both foodies and the food promised was a big feature of choosing a cruise holiday with P&O. We were not disappointed at all.

After dinner we had seen that there was a comedian performing in The Starlight Theatre that night so still in our finery that was our next stop.

We both spent a really enjoyable evening. The interior of this theatre is very like a cabaret club. Comfortable seating with tables for your drinks. There is water service throughout the show. To top it off the Comedian Jeff Stevenson was fabulous – a good old traditional comic.

A big thumbs up from us. We were really enjoying our first P&O Cruise aboard Oceana.

Sea Days aboard Oceana

I cannot review not just the sea days but all of this cruise without mentioning the fabulous timetable of activities. There is a vast array of sessions from learning to dance, yoga, talks about Gemstones from the on-board jewellers, to literary sessions. There are many fun things too. Each night when you return to your cabin a copy of The Horizon the onboard newspaper is laid on your bed as part of the turn down service. This lists all the activities for the next day, details about going ashore and food options. It is a fabulous thing to receive and invaluable.

 

Day 3 was our first Port Day and we were sailing to Piraeus in Greece ideal for a trip to Athens, The Parthenon and the Acropolis. If you liked this post and my review of Day 1 please come back to read my review of Day 3 in a future post. All follows and comments are always welcome I love to hear from you. Tell me if you’ve ever had a cruise holiday, what did you like or dislike, are you planning one?

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New Year New Perspective – Exciting Goals

A New Year is an exciting time I've set myself some fun goals for the year

New Year and New Goals is probably the same for most people. We all set goals, there’s something that happens when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st.

Myself and Mr Fitz did not go out and celebrate, it was a cosy PJ night for us with a curry cooked by him. I have been unwell for most of Christmas developing a nasty chest infection 1 week before. I spent the week before Christmas on the sofa, I missed final shopping days and my hair appointment! I’m sat typing with horrendous roots, hopefully to be fixed tomorrow! Even after Christmas I had so little energy that I still spent a lot of time relaxing. The only thing I really felt like doing was reading and watching TV – I didn’t even pick up my beloved laptop for nearly 2 weeks! Shock! Horror!

Anyway I’m rambling a little but the point is that this enforced rest helped me to format my goals for the New Year and evaluate where I am now to where I want to be.

As you may have read  in my About Me page I retired from my nursing career in 2015 after 36 years. I fulfilled some part time shifts for a further 18 months but then I finally hung up my stethoscope.

Since then I have been a part time Ebay reseller this has helped me learn new things, I had no idea before how to run a small business or complete HMRC Accounts! Also I think the secret to happy retirement is keeping active both physically and mentally. After years of working to strict shift hours and guidelines and protocols I still like some structure to my days and weeks. However I do not want to go out to work for someone else at this stage in my life, with one exception which I will come to later.

I have fallen a little out of love with my reselling lately, I think one of the main things is the clutter and stock that builds up in the house. I try to keep it contained to my home office and the garage, which are both really untidy and it does spread occasionally. I want the home office that you see images of on Instagram – not my cluttered mess. Running down my reselling life has been driven by this and then after compiling my HMRC Tax return I think the figures are an eye opener. I only want to spend 10-15 hours a week on this and yes I have a reasonable side income to supplement my NHS Pension but there are so many expenses and outgoings involved too that I think I can make this amount up by other methods. This is where my new challenges arise from for the New Year. So here goes!

Reading

As a child I spent a lot of time on my own and filed my time reading, this continued but progresses to text books at various stages in my career. When I retired I promised I would read all the books I’d wanted to and watch all the films I had missed. I haven’t managed either. So after my enforced rest I managed 2 books on my kindle in 10 days and realised how much I’d missed reading. So my goal is to read at least 2 books per month – I have set my reading target to 30 books for the year.

I love books and aim to read a minimum of 30 in 2019

Ebay Reselling

As mentioned earlier one of my new year intentions is to wind down my Ebay shop. This will not take immediate effect as I still have around 300-400 items yet to sell. I will continue until this is gone but will reevaluate my pricing to help in quick sales. Once my shop is closed I will return to just selling personal items. I have to add that being part of the reselling community has been a fabulous experience. There are so many fabulous characters out there who will help. Especially on YouTube – so many re-sellers producing quality videos to hep and always with humour. I will continue to follow them even when I close my shop later in the year.

Competitions

Entering competitions has been my main hobby after watching football for over 10 years. I have won some fabulous prizes including money can’t buy experiences, including getting to interview Ant and Dec behind the scenes of Britain’s Got Talent. Following my retirement my intention was to up my game on this front and devote more time to this hobby. Yes there is a lot of luck involved but it is a hobby where you make your own luck by your efforts and hard work. Also it is a numbers game – the more competitions you enter the more chances you have of being a winner. However, this never happened and due to other distractions, including, Ebay reselling, I found I was entering less than when I was in full time work. Most compers maintain their stats, prizes, values, methods of entry etc. Again I managed this when I was working but somehow haven’t managed this is in retirement. For the life of me I don’t know why! At the end of one year or beginning of next some compers share their stats, often via YouTube. There are a few who I follow every month and after seeing their stats and yearly total of prizes I have decided that this is the main focus of my attention this year. I intend to devote the time previously allocated to Ebay reselling back to this and some more!

Work as a Background Artist

A background artist is the current name for a TV Extra. I am registered with a local Casting agency and have gained some experience in this field. The work is sporadic and not well paid at all. Probably minimum wage for the hours worked. However, I find it interesting, the food and catering is excellent, which is free and there is a lot of time hanging around between scenes. Plus you meet some interesting people. There are people from many backgrounds who work in this role. I hope to increase the amount of work I get from my agent – ooh! That sounds grand doesn’t it. If necessary I will join a different agency and see if that makes a difference to the amount of work I receive. I know I’ve said the pay is very poor but there is a lot of time hanging around which will allow me to work on my Blog and competition entries, with pay!

Blogging

I am really enjoying my blogging career that I have tried to pick up in ernest. I am still learning all the time and want to grow and monetise my blog. Therefore this New Year working on networking and growing my blog will be a big goal.

Fitness

This is my final and ever perpetual goal. To maintain fitness and lose weight. I have been attending the gym and discovered Yoga but no weight loss follows. I have written about my health goals before. Starting the New Year I want to carry on at the same level but build on my exercise regime and increase my yoga classes. As I have a chronic back condition I find that this is fabulous for my well being.

Well that’s enough to be going on with! What about you? Have you got any exciting new goals this New Year. I realise we’re approaching the middle of the month before I publish this post, however I was laid up with a nasty chest infection and bug from before Christmas plus a family bereavement which has slowed my progress. But it’s now onwards and upwards! I already know that I have some regular work as a background artist from the end of the month.

 

Exciting times!

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London at Christmas Tea History and Theatre

A trip to London at Christmas was a fun filled and magical - have a read at what we did

London at Christmas is magical. I spent a lovely 3 days in London at the beginning of December with 3 of my girlfriends. It was a trip we had been planning since around February. I think it was me that instigated it by saying that I had never visited the shops or visited London at London or seen the Christmas lights.

Our visit was Thursday to Saturday, trying to avoid the busyness of the weekend.  We all became friends through our shared hobby of entering competitions. Due to this we were able to pool some of the prizes we had won during the year, mostly experience vouchers, to cover the cost of many of our treats. The downside to this was that we had a few prizes to to claim which dictated a lot of our time and itinerary. We never did get to see the Regent Street lights at night! Read on to see what we got up to.

The idea of the trip began in around February time and we began to actually plan from around September. By booking train tickets and hotel rooms early we were able to get these at discount rates to minimise the expense of a trip to London at Christmas

As we had got a discounted rail fare by booking early we were able to travel First Class. Our day started with a bacon sandwich, tea and coffee. This was soon followed by a shared bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne!

Our hotel was the hub by Premier Inn Kings Cross. We each had a double room. The rooms are modern and compact and are perfect for 1 occupant. The bed is classed as a double but there is only access onto it from 1 side, meaning there would be a bit of a squash for 2 and if the occupant nearest the wall needed the loo at night they would have to climb over the other! The bathroom and shower was more than adequate – the rooms are well thought out to maximise space.

Double bed

Bathroom hub at Premier Inn Kings Cross

The hotel itself is in a great location with a lively bar and restaurant. Breakfast was included and described as Continental, this really did not do it justice there was a very large range of produce and choice available. The hotel was very well staffed and they were all so efficient and friendly.  We would all definitely stay here again.

We travelled around the City using buses and Uber mostly. The first afternoon we headed to Regent Street and Liberty. As stated a couple of us had never visited London at Christmas before. A trip to Liberty was high on our to see list. I loved the old building with the fabulous Oak staircases and panelling. We loved browsing the very expensive silk scarves and handbags.

Liberty

Magical displays throughout Liberty

So many beautiful silk scarves

Next stop was Fortnum and Mason’s food hall, again another venue I had never visited. We all purchased a few treats for family and friends. I really liked the decor and produce available. Pricey but a lovely Christmas treat.

Fortnum and Mason window display

An expensive, indulgent Fortnum and Mason hamper

Our long day continued with Afternoon Tea in the The Galvin at The Athaneum Hotel.  A lovely setting with friendly staff and great food. We are serial afternoon teaers! If there is such a thing and enjoyed the fare of offer.

Afternoon tea at The Galvin

Our final destination for the first day was over to the Apollo Theatre to watch Everybodys Talking About Jamie. I have to admit this was not my choice of show, I would have preferred a couple of others over this but I also know that I can be set in my ways regarding what I watch at the theatre and it is good to be introduced to performances I may not have chosen myself!that  We had a couple of pre performance drinks in The White Horse close to the theatre. Myself and Mr Fitz love pubs and it has to be said that London have so many magnificent hostelries. That alone is a purpose for visiting the City!

The show has a very contemporary feel and subject matter, briefly the show revolves around Jamie and his school friends. Jamie is a 16 year old boy living on a council estate, he is openly gay and his career aspiration is to become a drag queen. His mother and friends are supportive, his estranged father is not. His best friend is a muslim girl in a Hijab. There are lots of risque lines and gestures but I have to say despite my reservations it was so entertaining and had you grinning from ear to ear. A real feel good show.

Third row seats! Everybodys talking about Jamie

The thrill of London Theatreland

Following this it was back to the hotel for a final night cap in the bar after a very long enjoyable day.

Our second day started early again as we had purchased tickets for Kensington Palace for 10.30 am. The Palace has 2 exhibitions covered by the ticket – Princess Diana’s dresses and Queen Victoria revisited. You can walk around the Palace in any order. We chose to look at the state rooms first where we came across a performance from 2 actors as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The theme was the Royals at Christmas and they acted out a piece about their plans for the day which culminated in an audience participation rendition of the 12 days of Christmas – well the first 5 only. This was so entertaining and we were so glad we caught it!

Actors in Kensington Palace entertained us as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

In the presence of royalty

The Queen Victoria exhibition was so fascinating, it was so interesting to see so many authentic pieces like clothing, pictures and jewellery on display.

An original painting of a young Queen Victoria

Queen Victorias Emerald and Diamond Jewellery sparkled so beautifully - talk about jewel envy!

Emerald and diamond jewellery designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria

We saved the exhibition of Princess Diana’s until last, this was the main reason for visiting the Palace. We are all fans of Diana, I personally remember her wedding and was working a night shift the night she died and watched all the events unfold in real time following the live news broadcasts.

The exhibition was smaller than we expected, in fact one of my friends commented that it was a little like the way Diana was seen by the Royals at the end, someone to be tucked away from public view. We learned that many of her dresses were auctioned off for charity and then loaned back to the Palace to be displayed.  We really enjoyed looking at those available, including the tweed suit she wore on honeymoon at Balmoral –  to be honest this is hideous and dowdy! There is also the dark blue velvet dress that she wore when she danced with John Travolta.

The images and photographs of Princess Diana's dresses at Kensington Palace can never replicate their full beauty

A selection of Princess Diana’s dresses

The one we all wanted to see – known as the Revenge Dress was not included in the exhibition unfortunately. For £16 a ticket we thought it great value for money.

Next stop was Harrods and again the Food Hall before enjoying a cream tea in Harrods tea room. We were sat next to the pianist and it was a very festive enjoyable hour.

Harrods cream tea

We returned to our hotel for a freshen up before dinner that we had pre booked at The Parcel Yard at Kings Cross. This venue was so busy and noisy but we had good food and service. The bar and restaurant was packed with people celebrating London at Christmas.

After a final night cap it was time for bed again after another busy packed day.

Before our return home the next morning we visited St Pancras station to see the Tiffany Christmas tree and ate a very large brunch at Bill’s in Islington – a prize of a £100 tab! We all ate really well and had enough funds left for a last bottle of champagne! After all it is Christmas.

Tiffany Christmas tree at St Pancras station

Brunch at Bills restaurant

Champagne at 12MD – don’t mind if we do

This was so enjoyable, even though Mr Fitz is my best friend and soul mate I think it is good to have time away with your girlfriends – good for the soul and gave us all the opportunity to do the things that our men don’t always want to do.

Have you been to any of these venues? Did you like them as much as us? What do you like to do in London at Christmas? Let me know or tell me of other places we may visit when we return.

Email me or comment I love to hear from you – thanks for reading today

 

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A Michelin Star Experience – Northcote Manor

Ever wondered what to expect from Michelin Star dining

A Michelin Star dining experience has been on our wish list for a while. So we visited Northcote Manor on the night of my lovely husbands 60th birthday last month. I had booked and planned this as a surprise for the actual night itself. We are both foodies and love dining out as well as watching hours of cooking on TV. He knew I’d booked an overnight stay but not where however, as the day grew nearer I was a bit panicky about surprising him and revealed the venue and Michelin Star experience the week before.

Northcote Manor is a renowned small luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant situated on the edge of the Ribble Valley, in the heart of Lancashire. Lisa Goodwin Allen is the Executive chef after taking over from Nigel Haworth, both seen regularly on TV Cookery programmes, including the Great British Menu.

We traveled by car and the journey took less than an hour. It was easy to find and is a manor house set just off the main road in expansive gardens which include an area where they grow some of their own produce.

Our room was in the Garden Lodge set aside from the main Manor house housing the restaurant. We had booked the Tasting Break which included an overnight stay, a 6 course dinner and breakfast the following morning. We were allocated room 21, which was huge, a large double bed, sofa and doors to a private terrace fully surrounded by a hedge for privacy. The bathroom was fabulous with complimentary Temple Spa toiletries. Check in was super smooth and there was a birthday card from the hotel waiting for John in our room.

 

Dinner was booked for 7 and we had a pre dinner drink in the bar in the Manor House, this was so cosy and inviting. The short walk from the Garden Lodge to the Manor house is lit up and well paved, umbrellas are available in each room in the event of inclement weather. As it was October the terraces were bare but it was clear to see that there were many outdoor chairs and tables available to enjoy a drink outside in the summer admiring the surroundings and views. We were served 2 small hors d’oeuvres in the bar before being invited into the main restaurant.

The restaurant is luxurious to look at with attentive service. It is a high end experience as expected by a Michelin Star restaurant. Every course was explained to us as it was served. I chose to purchase the wine flight for myself, John stuck to beer, and the Sommelier provided a choice for a couple of courses. The service was excellent but a little too formal for our liking, after all we are only humble people who like to experience a taste of the good life and good food occasionally.

Our menu was:

AGED HAND CUT BEEF
Roasted Celeriac, Smoked Marrowbone
Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Rosé Émotion, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2015 (125ml £8.50)

WEST COAST SCALLOP
Clam ”Chowder”, Bacon, Chervil
Cottanera, Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy, 2016 (125ml £10.00)

West Coast Scallop

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Black Truffle
Dry Sack, Amontillado, Williams & Humbert, Andalucia, Spain, NV  (70ml £11.50)

Jerusalem Artichoke

CORNISH TURBOT
Orchard Apple, Watercress, Walnut
Chardonnay, Heitz Cellar, Napa Valley, USA, 2014 (125ml £15.75)

Cornish Turbot

RED LEG PARTRIDGE
Leg Bolognaise, Mushroom, Squash
Reserva, Viña Tondonia, Rioja, Spain, 2004 (125ml £15.25)

Oops! Forgot to photograph prior to eating!

FLAVOUR OF ECCLES CAKES
Muscat Grapes, Caramelised Pastry, Tea
Monastrell, Dulce, Bodegas Castaño, Murcia, Spain, 2010 (70ml £8.00)

 

Neither of us like pink meat, we could be classed as old fashioned as we love all meat dished ‘well done’. The Aged Hand Cut Beef was a version of steak tartare, so we asked for an alternative if possible. The request was no problem and we were given the equivalent course from their plant based menu, which was:

HAND CUT ROAST CELERIAC
Horseradish, Smoked Butter
Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Rosé Émotion, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2015, 125ml £8.50.

The courses were small but very rich with fabulous mixes of flavours and textures. The Partridge wasn’t really us, although we did eat most of us. My favourite course was the Cornish Turbot, absolutely delicious.

Following dinner we had one final nightcap in the lounge bar, with its roaring fire and dimmed lighting. Before retiring back to our lovely room. We were both full and satisfied from this luxury experience.

Following a great nights sleep we returned to the main restaurant for their version of a Full English Breakfast. Service was a little slow at breakfast but the food when it arrived was just the right portion size after the previous nights hearty dinner.

Cooked English Breakfast

Overall this was a one off experience for us for a special occasion, it was expensive,  costing just under £600. There are large service charges added to each aspect of service. Our after dinner drinks of a pint of cider and a Baileys cost £24! We were really pleased to be able to experience this dining experience but would not repeat in a hurry. The one downside for me was that the temperature in the restaurant both at dinner and breakfast was too warm, I appreciate that being in the throws of the menopause this was my problem, but Mr Fitz also felt uncomfortable at times in the heat.

In summary though it was a fabulous experience for a pair of foodies like us for a one off celebration. If you were looking for a top class venue with Michelin Star food I would highly recommend it.

Dining out is our favourite pastime.

Have you had a luxury dining experience or a similar treat for a special occasion let me know what you did or where you dined at. We are always looking for places to visit to stay and dine.  Leave me a comment or email me, I love to hear from you.

Thanks for popping in today

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A busy October having fun in retirement

Life begins in retirement

I had a very busy October and I know I’m it’s already mid November and I’m late in posting, but hey better late than never. Time is flying so fast. This third age of my life is truly the best especially spending quality time with family and friends. When I was working full time as a nurse I was either too busy or too tired to really enjoy my social life.

Where Did I Go in October

The month of October was dominated by Mr Fitz’s 60th birthday, both preparation and celebrations. I had planned a surprise night away for him on the actual night of his Birthday. We are both foodies and Mr Fitz can watch hours of cooking programmes and demonstrations from Celebrity chefs, as well as dining out. With that in mind I had booked a night away at Northcote Manor a Michelin starred hotel and restaurant not too far away.  He hates surprises so closer to the date I did actually tell him where we were going.  We had a lovely stay and fabulous food, very expensive but a one off experience befitting the milestone in life. I will write a full review of this experience in a separate post.

A 60th Birthday Celebration at Northcote Manor in October

A selection of the food on offer at Northcote Manor

Michelin Star Food

We both enjoyed a weekend away in Blackpool with friends at the beginning of October, staying in their static caravan. A great time filled with lots of laughter and a trip to the Blackpool illuminations was enjoyed by us all. I reflected on the Illuminations as part of my Blogtober18 series, if you haven’t read it already you can take a look here.

Big wheel on the pier at Blackpool

Blackpool Illuminations

With the christening of Johns great niece Delilah Belle we got to spend some quality family time with Johns close and extended family. It was as few days before his birthday so they presented him with gifts and sang Happy Birthday to him. After years of missing out on many family celebrations due to the unsocial hours and shifts that are required as a nurse, in retirement I fully appreciate how precious days like this are.

Mr Fitz Receiving gifts for his 60th birthday

Family time

After football and blogging my other passion is for entering competitions. I have like minded friends and we all share our winning prizes and experiences amongst ourselves and our friends and families. My lovely friend Juliet won a trip to meet Jamie Oliver in London.  It was a promotion in collaboration with Hotpoint and Jamie Oliver to reduce foo wastage and to be creative with leftovers. There were 5 winners who had been judged to submit the best ideas for the use of leftovers. The winners and guests were invited to a pop up event in East London. A truly enjoyable day and an opportunity to see Jamie demonstrating his cooking skills at close contact.

Enjoying a celebrity chef experience with Jamie Oliver

Watching Jamie Oliver live

Another of my friends won a meal at Rain Bar in Manchester for 4. This is a gastro pub where the food was really tasty with great service and attention. It also gave myself and my friends the opportunity to get together and plan an upcoming trip to London in December

Rain Bar Manchester serves great food

Lunch at Rain Bar Manchester

What Did I Read in October

I’m ashamed to say I am still on the same book from the Village series that I was reading last month – I’ve barely picked my kindle up and I need to read more to help me unwind at the end of the day.

What I watched on TV in October

I completed watching the series on Sky Witness The Truth About the Harry Quebert Story, I mentioned this last month. It was quite a slow moving who dunnit but I enjoyed it, lots of twist and turns.

I’ve been catching up on an older TV series, A Place To Call Home and watching in snatches. I find this a really relaxing storyline and series. It’s set in Australia an tells the story of a family throughout the years.

Naturally there has been wall to wall football being watched here!

I didn’t get to watch any specific films apart from dipping into the many Christmas movies being continuously shown on Sky. By the time Christmas arrives I will have possibly seen snippets of them all. These are great movies to have on in the background while I work, particularly photographing and listing stock for my Ebay shop.

Home Improvements

If you have read earlier posts about our house purchase partially funded from my retirement funds, you may know that I so love this dream house and this is the most enjoyable part of my retirement. I love spending as much time as possible inside working from home. When we moved in it had been repainted throughout and re carpeted in neutral tones. Over the three years we have lived here we have gradually made changes and put our personal stamp on it. We had wooden flooring in our previous home and loved the look and clean feel of it. But as the carpet was newly fitted when we moved in changing it immediately seemed inappropriate. This month though we thought 3 years was a respectable length of time to change it and we had wooden flooring fitted through the lounge and dining room. Due to my menopausal brain fog I have become really indecisive and struggle to choose decor etc. Thankfully Mr Fitz is able to make good choices and where once I made the main decisions I am happy for him to take the lead. He chose a dark colour which I possibly wouldn’t have chosen myself, possibly because I make ‘safe’ choices and he is happy to be out there sometimes. I am happy with his choice and love the new look.

A change of flooring can transform a room

November goals

To continue at the gym and attend yoga classes hoping this results in weight loss.

I am going to aim to eat a low carb diet 90% of the time to reverse the state of insulin resistance that I appear to be in, caused by my lovely constant companion that is the menopause. I am watching a series of videos from a nutritionist in America Dr Becky Gillaspy,  as I have a Masters Degree in Health Studies, I know that what she talks about makes sense.

 

Procrastination

Oh and yes my accounts have still not been submitted – I need to pull my finger out!

Finally I am planning to redecorate my 2nd bedroom, including a full declutter. I will post about this when the project is complete.

How is your November progressing? How you’re all moving forward, my favourite saying at the moment is from Emma Drew of Emma Drew info who is helping me with my blogging journey, and that is we should strive at all times for progress not perfection! So true. I am prone to getting lost in the minutiae of details to be perfect that I end up making no progress at all.

Let me know if you have any similar experiences to any of my recent ones? I love to hear from you and receive inspiration

Comment or email me 

Also I would love you to subscribe and share if you wish to hear more about my retirement life and having fun after 50.

Thanks for reading, it’s always appreciated

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I love You Tube 10 of my favourite channels

Who do I watch on you tube

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.

Neisha – from SugarPuffand Fluff – has such a lovely personality and always looks fabulous. I find her hair care vieos so helpful with my fine hair problems.

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.

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