2012 is MY year!

I’ve been told that 2012 will be ‘MY’ year! Its all going to happen for me in 2012 apparently and I can well believe it already. We are buying a house which should go through within the first few months and then the ‘plan’ is to have another baby (eek!). Maybe I’ll even get a job too! Or win the lottery – either will be welcomed…or both!

The last 2 or even 3 years have been hard work. Mainly with Stuart’s work – he does work so hard and such long hours. Hopefully, this year will show it all paying off to his benefit and he’ll be able to reap the reward for the previous years which, of course, will mean I benefit too. He really deserves to get all he has been striving for so I hope  he does get it.

Callum is really becoming a lovely little boy (with the odd challenging moment that even the most well behaved boys have from time to time). I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing how much he will grow and learn in the next year. I feel like we are on the edge of a pivotal moment with him at the moment. He has already changed and learnt so much in the last 6 months but he is at the stage where he wants to learn more. He wont go to school until September 2013 and, at the moment, that seems about right for him as he still seems a long way from ready (plus I’m thrilled to not be panicking right now about finding a suitable school and getting into the one we want).

Of course, its the Olympics this next year too. I’m gutted to not have tickets to go and see anything. To have the opportunity to be part of the event, to be there watching when it is in your own country. I might not ever get the chance again. Maybe an opportunity will present itself within the year. Still, its an exciting thing to happen to the country and I hope we pull it off and make the country proud.

I am also going into the year with just the one NY resolution. I think its the way forward. Instead of a list of many, focus all your energy in to just the one and making sure you stick to it. Much better to be proud of achieving one than to fail at many! So, this is it:

“To have a date night once a month with Stuart”

We had a similar one the year after Callum was born and stuck to it. It really made a difference but since then, too much of life has got in the way. One big event after another of someone else’s birthday or this or that has meant our priorities have been focused away from us as a couple and as a family and instead onto others. This has meant we have sacrificed our own relationship at times. I think it is so important to make time for each other and to still ‘date’. Its too easy to get caught up with life, drift apart and realise you’ve just become friends instead of husband and wife or, worse, you are just co-existing in each others company. I’ve seen it happen to so many friends and, if I’m honest, I have felt like this at times in the past year. Moving to Bournemouth has helped to change that already and now 2012 is to focus on each other again, to remind ourselves what it is we love about each other, to move into the next stage of our lives together as one not two separate entities. I know, if we achieve the above, it will make all the difference to our relationship.

Its a great to be able to start a new year in such a positive light. Just because I’ve been told it is going to be a good year I already believe it and want to make it so.

So, because it has helped me, 2012 is going to be your year too! Go forth and make it so!

Happy New Year Everyone!

For One Week Only

Christmas is a funny (strange) time of year!

If you are like me, you spend the whole year fearing it keeping it always just out of site in the back of your mind but never too far away because you know, even in January, that the next Christmas will sneak up on you like a lion stalking its prey.

The closer it gets, the more you start to worry about how you’ll ever afford it and every time another friend or family member has a baby, you try not to scowl as the ch-ching noise sets off in your head representing another £15 (give or take depending on relationship to you) you’ll have to spend out this year!

The next worry is how is there enough time to buy all the presents for everyone, and what the hell will you buy the couple that have everything this time after you know the novelty tea-pot cosy was stuffed in the bottom of a kitchen drawer last year?

Around October I begin the Excel spreadsheet. Every year I vow to start the shopping process a month earlier this time but when you are holding on to the last bit of sunshine and jetting off on your summer holiday in September, Christmas shopping is the last thing you want to be thinking about!

‘The Spreadsheet’ consists of a column for name, present idea, shop option(s), estimated price, actual price and notes. This enables me to keep track of how much I’m spending, what I’ve bought and who I’ve still got left to buy for…until about 2 weeks before Christmas where I lose track or any interest in keeping the silly spreadsheet up to date. You’ll notice the reference to I when it comes to buying? Yes, I do the buying for both of us in our family with Stuart just buying mainly for me, a present for Callum and any member of his family left in the week before Christmas – my choice, my nerves couldn’t take it if I left him responsible for anything else – some may say I’m a bit of a control freak!. My brain just wouldn’t cope without ‘The Spreadsheet’ – when we are staying home for Xmas dinner there will also be a tab for the food shop too!

The house gets turned into a tacky grotto the first week of December! Tinsel and baubles and dancing Christmas tree galore! Its so strange how I approach the day when I’ll put the tree and decorations up with such excitement and festive spirit when come the day after boxing day I detest the same joyful decorations and can’t wait to rip them down and return my house to its normal cluttered but less chaotic state. No fear that I’ll receive bad luck if the decorations are not down by the 12th day of Christmas – you are lucky if there are still decorations up at New Year in my house.

So, you survive the present buying panic (will there be a mad dash to the actual shops when the online shopping you bought back in November fails to make an appearance the day before Christmas Eve?), you’re all prepared, wrapped, ready to go and the big day arrives!

You know all that moaning and stressing above? Yes that drivvle and ranting above that you’ve just suffered through reading (assuming you are, of course, still with me at this point and not abandoned for a much more pleasant cup of tea with that last mince pie (of chocolate roll if you are me!)) – well you can now forget it all. Cross it out, scrap it! Cos its all worth it to watch your little boy’s face when he sees a stocking full of santa presents, to find the cookie eaten, the carrot munched and the milk & Baileys drunk, the wide eyes as he notices the previously carpeted floor transformed into a sea of brightly coloured and shiny paper, bows and ribbons.

The alcohol starts flowing early so there’s a new meaning to Christmas spirit! Everyone eats far too much! The same crappy cracker jokes cause the same unimpressed groans yet no one cares and we all laugh anyway as the silly paper hat goes on and we try to palm off the pointless mini photo frame prize onto our neighbour, while swiping the mini emery board to file that niggling nail and the mini pack of screwdrivers joins the other 5 packs from the previous years in the ‘everything’ drawer in the kitchen as, you never know, one day they might come in useful!

The joy that you get when everyone likes the presents that you’ve bought. To me, buying presents for people and watching them open them is such a selfish pleasure. When you take a risk on something that they could either love or loath and the risk pays off – they love it! You can’t beat that feeling!

So, for us, Christmas is over for another year! Its the 29th of December. It was a particularly successful year on the present front for both the giving and receiving! Even better, the decorations are down and I’ve found a home for everything!

On with the New Years Resolutions which will be broken by the end of January and then the Christmas fear will follow but, just for now, for this week, all that is forgotten again. For one week only, I love Christmas!

Screenshot

I know you’ve had enough blog posts tonight but thought this was significant enough to do a screen print of my blogspot dashboard summary…

Look at the numbers!

My Reiki Journey: Reiki Stage I

Today was my Reiki workshop to achieve my Reiki Stage I – which gives you the ability to self-heal and heal close “friends, family, pets, plants and all living things”.
The day was a nice and relaxed day with the morning spent reading about the history of Reiki, going through the 5 Principles of Reiki and the responsibilities that come from practising Reiki.
Then after lunch we went on to the practical of learning how to prepare and carry out a Reiki treatment on ourselves and on someone else.
First was the self healing steps which we must complete every day for the next 21 days. This takes us through a cleansing and healing period (which lasts 30 days inclusive of the above 21 days). We are encouraged to keep a journal during this 21 day period, which I will do (but will keep private), to record anything we feel or are aware of during these sessions.
Then we learnt the steps of carrying out a healing on someone else using each other for practise – I was delighted to be getting the chance to have another Reiki healing treatment. I was the healee first while my fellow student went through the steps then we swapped over.
After this we received our Attunement which opens the healing energy flow allowing us to become a channel for Reiki healing for ourselves and others.
Finally we were presented with our certificates.
Obviously the above is very simplified and just a brief overview – the actual workshop was a lot more informative with Lorraine sharing her own experiences, her personal methods and her beliefs to support what we were learning. It was nice being a relaxed session where we could all share and talk about our personal experiences.
My next steps:

1. Complete the 21 days of self healing
2. I would like to read some books on Reiki to broaden my knowledge
3. Buy some crystals. I keep going into shops, feeling overwhelmed then walking out but I have seen in my mind the type of crystal I need first and will just go with my instinct on the others, as recommended by Lorraine (or use my newly purchased dowsing crystal)
4. Attend a Reiki share (Monday)
5. Practice Reiki on myself and others and hopefully book on the next stage course in the new year

The things that ‘concern’ me from this list is taking the time (about 20 minutes preferably) to meditate and complete the 21 days of self-healing. With a 3 year old about it is unlikely I’ll be able to do it during the days (except when he is in nursery) and so I have to make a conscious effort to do so in the evening after dinner – I find it all too easy to slob in front of the tv and switch off from the world (or I just get addicted to Twitter for the evening!).
I am also a little concerned about what I might have to face during my self-healing and cleansing phase. I’m pretty sure there are going to be a number of things from my past which I am going to be made to face. I know it is for my own good so I can move on – but knowing this is different to doing it and I know its not going to be easy. I think I am strong enough and ready to do it though. Keeping the journal will probably help.

Fingers, arms, legs and toes !

Keep everything crossed! We’ve found a house, we’ve made an offer and….AND…..IT’S BEEN ACCEPTED!!!!!

Not going to tell you too much about it yet but just to say its AMAZING! More than we could ever have imagined and perfect too!

Sooo soooo happy right now.

We are hoping for end of January for completion so please can you all keep all fingers, arms, legs and toes crossed until then.

I expect to hear of people falling over and culinary injuries from now on otherwise I’ll be having words, you here?!