Getting through the festive season

Yes the Christmas season is upon us and many have already decorated and then their is dinner. I usually go to someones home or stay in and have a dinner at home, and this year we may be going away. 

When I say getting through, I am not meaning that I don't enjoy it and I am looking forward to it, but with people having to go to foodbanks it can be really effect how we feel about it, and that there will be families not having a Christmas dinner.

My first Winter Cider for Christmas 2023

So when you go to the supermarket and you have a local foodbank to donate to, then why not donate an item of food, and some supermarkets are working with charities like Tesco, has done where you can donate part of your shopping bill, and it is only pence, but it doesn't have to be a lot, a little bit still goes a long way.

I use this time to visit Charity shops for gifts and decor. They do a lot of Christmas Ornaments and I like these types of decor as they can passed down to the next generation of family and buying someone new decor for Christmas is a lovely gift, and a keepsake for other Christmases to come.

I did a video on my Youtube Channel My way of living about not Worrying over Christmas and just enjoy seeing family and friends, and it is not about how much you spend, but you being there and catching up and have everyone contribute: https://youtu.be/9agww2YOWIU 

To save time on getting things done do some prepping of wrapping gifts and you can donate toys too in many supermarket, this time of yer, and do it when it is time for yourself with a movie on or Christmas music and getting food bits done. Like chopping up vegetables and meats that you are going to have in the freezer and just make sure they defrost before cooking. 

Have a station in your home of all the decor if not put up yet, and a good way of having a clear out, before buying some new decor. 

If you know someone who is going to be on their own, why not invite them to join you for Christmas dinner or if not able to, make one to take one over to them, and have a drink with them too, as I hate the thought of people on their own, with noone to see and talk too. 

I want to do something for others at Christmas, and so going to plan and think of ideas, and please give me your ideas and what you do during Christmas. You can leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Good ways to use what you have got

So before you begin to buy anything, do an inventory, and if it helps write it down, or do it, by viewing  of what you've got. See what you have and how much of the items you have, and if you will be using it again, or shop around to see if you can still get a good valued product for less, than what you usually pay, and still be a good product. 

I find writing it down helpful or keeping it on my phone using my note app, to be helpful, and doing a regular declutter, or review on items. I bought some salads from ASDA for my lunch in the week, and was horrible, and feel this was a lesson for me to make my own. 

Go through the things you watch or listen too. As I am writing this blog, catching up on some Podcasts I still have to listen to, and create a playlist and can help with concentration, and being productive. 

Challenge yourself. I love a challenge and going to do more, and has helped me in terms of my finances, having a no spend month, which I am going to do next January, like I did last year. I want to do more to help build my confidence and grow my content, to help my community and followers even more. 

Build up your skills. If you are bored doing the same thing all the time, learn something that can help build on the skills that you already have, and if you like me have enrolled on online course, get these completed first before enrolling on more. 

Use up your cash and change. Before buying anything by card, try and use cash instead that you have in your purse and now I do this, has helped me manage my finances and save. I have some ideas of how I am going to save me even more, and use my change, that I saved and on things I like to buy. 

Exercise and use everyday things. You don't have to buy fancy equipment, and you may have items in your home you can use, like stairs, chairs and floor space. I have a set of dumbbells that I keep in the living room, and so in the afternoon will pick these up and do some exercise but you can also use bottles of water and tins. If you a garden, in the summer workout outdoors, and a kick about with your kids is still exercise, so use a football if you have one or in Epsom my husband has a treadmill I can use, rather than going to the gym. I do like pay as you go gyms which we have in Epsom and plan to do this again, just to get out as it can get boring, working out indoors and spread your wings.

So I hope you find this helpful and going to do video on this too, and start thinking about Christmas, if you like me have only started now. You be surprised on how much you save, and still buy those memorable gifts and make time to spend it with those you love.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Travelling up London at the weekend

Hello and welcome to a another blog! Today I took my son up to London and had a coffee and travelled from Victoria to London Waterloo and then back. It was remembrance day, here in the UK so the traffic was being deverted. My son wanted to walk from London victoria to Epsom, but we walked part of the way, but was raining and my anxiety was getting the better of me, as I fear being stranded, but got on a bus to London Waterloo, where he initially wanted to go, and then came back by train, and now at home, and promised him that we will try to walk at some point but be some what prepared and let him see how far it is.

You got to allow kids to explore and I do want to up my walking so would be nice to try so, for my sons sake will give it a try. 

When travelling to London at the weekend you have to plan somewhat. I use Trainline, (no not sponsored), because there often can be rail replacement. So by bus, but like to day some of the trains were operating, and get your self a train APP or a Map to help you plan you travel in London, and you can use credit and debit cards, aswell as an Oyster Card. 

Walking from Westminister to Chelsea can be nice. Check out The Kings Road. A good place if you like shopping and having a bite to eat. As a kid I would often be in Chelsea as that is where my mum and dad come from, and would spend many a weekend there. It has changed a lot, but still a good place to visit.

I like walking along by the river, and you can get the buses and the Underground, but check before you travel to see what is operating. 

I got to see places like Victoria, going passed seemed to not have a lot there now, but that are some food places and St James's Park is only a 5 minute trip and great to walk through and then you have Trafalgar Square, which we didn't pass on the bus today, but when you can it does look so proud of itself and featured in one of my favourite films, Mary Poppins. 

So out London at the weekend, and explore. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X  

When there is a storm

Was going to begin to say that "I hope everyone is well?" but feel that this is a daft question. Having your home flooded and not able to get out, is going to effect you and not be well. I had trouble today in getting to my son's home and couldn't get a train due to a tree falling on the tracks and wasn't sure as to what to do, and those who are in a worse situation, my problems don't matter.

Storms, are not controllable and has caused chaos. They say not to go out but how can you and if your house is flooded it means that there will be shops closed too. If you have mobile access then see if you can still contact your friends and family and then there is the elderly. 

Thank god that we have a fire services that can help and get people out of trouble and be somewhere safe.

So this is a short blog and hope there people are safe and if there are people that can help with those who's homes are affected see if you can provide food and other supplies and work as a nation to help too.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X   

How I organize 2023

It has been a while since I wrote anything on this blog, I have been working on my Wordpress blogs and this is because I have created some different programmes to help support people, like my Life Coaching programme "Summer Project 2023" check out my blog site where you will find these blogs, and may find them helpful. https://everyonecanbuiildacastle.com  and now doing my Autumn Reset to get tasks I need done completed and again blogging on the blog site above. 

Now I am back and have created a more functional way to organize for 2023. 

I am using a Filofax again and watching Terri Savelle Foy she talked about having everything in one place, and so wanted to give it a try, but it is very bulky and for birthday I was given a 2024 diary and it is a nice size, but until I can use the diary I am going to use my Filofax and when I don't feel like carrying my Filofax,  will organize digitally and I am liking the system I use now to keep tabs on my blogs, books and videos, along with my son and other things I need to keep reminding myself of. 

For digital planning and organizing I am using OneNote and calendar templates for my son to keep record of my son's school dates on Word and appointments I have, and another for planning my writing, on Excel, and working really well for me. 

I plan the night before, for each day and go for a walk in the morning has helped me be organized this year as it not good to be on my laptop all day and it sets me up, and tomorrow I have to stay in part of the day as my husband had purchased a new sofa and so need to be here for that to be delivered, so depending on what time it is delivered will use the treadmill to walk and do some indoor exercise. 

Getting back into my fitness has helped because it can take a while for me to wake up. 

I have come to realise that I like getting up early now and not doing anything on my laptop in the evening or limit the amount of time I spend on my laptop at night. It can be easy to go my laptop so  don't go straight on to it until my later on in the morning and gotten errands done first, and in between.

So how are you organizing this year and what you use I would love to know. You can leave a comment below. 

Please check out new book, which is a novel called Mum&Me, and is about Elizabeth living with her mum and see things very differently and Elizabeth's mum is obsessed with TV shopping channels and online, but often not what she actually ordered. It is available in Kindle and Paperback.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Having Reset days and tips on having a reset

I never knew what this was until I was introduced to it via Youtube and now apply it with everything I do and began last year to create a programme called the Autumn Reset, where I go through unfinished tasks, to get unfinished projects completed before the winter and Christmas. I post this content on my main youtube channel, which is gonna change, as this channel will be all weekly or weekend vlogs, but you can see my videos from last year on this channel, and so just put in Autumn Reset and you should find them. 

For me it is about getting my life together and making changes to my life that works for me presently and that I can stick too, to make sure I get stuff done and have time to myself too. 

My first tip is to go through your computer to check out what needs to be finished and setting a deadline to get them done and planning. I have filmed some videos on my Youtube channel   https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal/ and my blog site: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com 

Same thing with doing a make over of your house or a room, doing the garden or doing a declutter and altering your habits to help stay on top of things. 

Go through the most important first, to the second most important to the items that can wait and be done at a later date, but to still get them done. For me that is creating online courses again. Not that I feel I have to do it, but want to teach my skills I have learned to help others, but I want to have other things finished first.

I want to focus on my next book and have this published, getting my son ready for his new school in September and paying off my credit card. 

Tip 2 is to keep it simple and go through the tasks that take less time. Now many I have watched about getting items completed, do longest projects first. For me that makes me want to hibernate and procrastinate, and so I find doing the smaller tasks first to then do the bigger items next is better and I know I am going to get them done. 

At the moment I am spending time with my son who has finished school for the Summer Holidays and so on mum duties making sure we have plenty of fun, using the evenings to write and get tasks done in terms of my content and doing errands. 

This is the reality of life that some things have to be pushed to another day as I want my attention to be focusing on my son and today started to get his uniform ready for when he begins at his new school. 

I have been taking my son swimming to help him practice as my son has been doing swimming lessons at the weekend, so want to help him continue to develop in swimming and is getting more confident with swimming as he has his last lesson for this part of the year, but I don't want to lose what he has learned and the same with his reading and writing. 

Tip 3, Delegate duties to your kids. I wrote a blog on my parenting blog about if Kids want to do chores let them: https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com/2023/07/14/if-your-child-wants-to-help-with-the-chores-let-them/

This will help them to be independent and so have them help with washing dishes and tidying their bedrooms. Henry makes his own bed and is now gotten interested in cooking and putting the dishes away. 

He decided to do that on his own, and is good to help them develop these skills, as they do need to learn how to look after themselves. 

It all part of their growth and lifts the weight of your shoulders, and like this week I cooked dinner so his dad did the washing up. That is setting a good example for your kids and have it as a family thing. 

Tip 5, start on one area at a time and I watched a brilliant Youtube video today, a cleaning video and I loved her method because she was writing and ticking of areas as she completed each one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9hP449qQxU I thought it was really motivating and will follow her method of tidying the home and getting all clean and tidy again. 

We can get so caught on mess, like my Laundry basket at the moment, so tomorrow I will be tackling the laundry, and we can ignore it, but it will just build and build. 

I am going to see if I can get all my laundry done, and will be a blessing to see my laundry basket empty. 

So I hope this blog has helped you and lets work together to reset and finish those endless tasks. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

  

Getting it all done

Life can be on top of us and feel that there too many things to do and not enough time to get it all done. I like making lists and creating new habits to stop me from feeling that I am behind. Example I do a tidy up of one area each day, make my bed and get dressed.

Anything that can be done the night before helps, like having my shower at the end of each day helps, in that I don't have to have one in the morning, but put my body spray on with deodorant before putting on my clothes for the day. 

The first place to begin in planning and scheduling. I use my diary I got from TK Maxx and OneNote. I have tried several ways, but now I feel I have a good set up and going to see if I can use my Filofax of having everything in one day. I will let you know how I get on with that and if it works to be more organized and productive as that is what I am going for. The idea came from @TerriSavelleFoy

I want to change from being a hoarder to a minimalist, and own less but have more in terms of saving money, have more space and have a clearer working station where I use my laptop and often change is all we need. 

Sort one area a day, rather than doing it all at once if you do have a busy schedule, time yourself and make it into a challenge. Watch Youtube videos on cleaning and tidying and getting it all done. Good for motivation and potter.

I love pottering around and just going around the home to clear any clutter to dust and reorganize. I can be disorganized, but getting better and setting a time to tidy in the mornings has really been a game changer. 

Take time to read. I like to read before bed and because of the weather at the moment going to sit in the garden and read for a bit, and almost finished another book, a video will be made once completed. 

I set my challenge of reading a book a month but because I don't tend to read when my son is on holiday as we are usually out somewhere, been difficult to keep up, but I am not disappointed, and will pick it up again. 

So got some more things to do and so going to leave this blog here and will be writing more so keep checking and have a great day.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X