Decisions, Decisions... Decisions Made!

Dear readers,

In my last post I talked about having a couple of blogs that focussed specifically on different things so that I can focus more on what I want to post as I love to write and want to post so much.  

This blog started as an experiment - could I be a blogger?  

I tried Wordpress and a few other blogging sites before Blogger and as a total beginner, I found Blogger easier and I quit the others and could never get the hang of blogging, but blogger, really helped me get to grips with HTML and codes as it's so easy to use.  I enjoy using it.  

The problem I have is that I eventually want to self-host and a lot of social media ask for you to have knowledge and skills using Wordpress and you can self-host relatively cheap from this as well as sign up for courses with Wordpress.  

All of this helped me make the decision that my new blogging sites would be with Wordpress.  

I am not usually a one to self-promote, however, as I do have some regular avid readers I thought it only fair to direct you to my other sites as I won't just be posting to one blog regularly, I will be sharing my time.  

My blogger website is quite a personal one, and I like it because you get to know me, and I talk about everything.  My other blogs are more focussed.


First of all, as I run my own tutoring and assessing business, I want to expand, so I have started my own business site/blog.  I offer a range of services but I also have a blog here to post about anything that relates to my business categories: English, Creative Writing, Business and Teaching.  

If you are interested in this, you can find this by clicking J Cooper Tuition & Training Services


Secondly, you know that my husband has been ill and that I care for him, and that my kids help too.  Family is everything to me so I decided to start a Family Lifestyle and Health blog as the bulk of my posts relate to either our family lifestyle as a family or carers, or health.  

You can review this blog by clicking Because We Care Too


Finally, you all know that I love English (Linguistics, Language, and Creative Writing), and in particular the Gothic and Fantasy genres.  You also know that I am passionate about my studies and how I would one day love to complete a PhD and become a Doctor of Philosophy.  With this in mind, I decided to start a creative and academic blog for all the gothic and fantastic things in my life.  I am extremely excited about this blog, and you should certainly watch this space!  

You can review this blog by clicking The Faerie and The Fantastic


I was new to blogging this year and it was my New Year's resolution of 2015 to begin.  I knew nothing, and I felt confused.  It took me a while to get going but this site is inevitively my baby.  I got the hang of the linky, the RSS feeds, as well as many other things and I have learned so much. 

It certainly isn't the end for Rambles, Rants, and Writings (well at least not yet).  I will still be posting here, just not everyday like I used to.

For now, I am taking each day as it comes and experimenting - exactly how I did for this blog.

In theory I already managed a business site (without a blog), a website, and then this blog.  I have dropped the old business site and my website now, so I only have one extra site to maintain.  

My business blog won't take much upkeep as the bulk of the information is already posted on pages, so I am sure I can manage my family lifestyle and health blog, as well as my creative and academic blog - the only difference is they wont all be in one place - because now everything has it's place. 

I ask you now, my fellow readers and bloggers - what blogging site works best for you?  What is easier to use? Or do you find one has more opportunities to progress your blog?  

Let me know your thoughts! 


Laters, Janet :) 

November Summary and Future Plans

Dear Readers,

Today I plan on asking your advice, as well as giving a brief summary of what I have been up to.  Apologies in advance for the repitition of the word 'blog' throughout this post - I have this word on my mind a lot at the moment :)

October wasn't the best month for me.  I didn't get to post very much and I have felt a bit out-of-sorts.  I went back to Uni, had to deal with my husband's illness, and I also had a busy period at work with new learners.

I have just had a weekend break away with the family, away from technology, and I have thought a lot about blogging and what's next for me.  A few month's ago I did some soul-searching as I was worried that my blog wasn't very specific and that my niche wasn't specific enough.

I find I want to use my blog for anything and everything - I have so many ideas.  I want a family and lifestyle orientated blog but I also want to post on health and being a carer.  Other than this I would also like a business site as I want to expand my business offering English Tuition, Creative Writing Coaching, and Marketing.  I would also like to post on writing and blogging itself.  As I would like to eventually complete a PhD, I would also like to have an academic gothic literature blog.

Rather than dwelling on all of these factors I think it might be best to have a couple of blogs that focus on specific areas.

This is were I need your help and advice, my readers and fellow bloggers, I wondered if any of you have more than one blog, and for what purpose?  What do you use the different blogs for? Do you think blogs are better if they focus specifically on something rather than being a mish-mash of everything?

I was thinking that I could have a personal blog that incorporated the family lifestyle, and help.  I then thought that I could have a business page which could incorporate the posts on writing and blogging.  Finally, I could then begin a Gothic style blog that incorporates my own creative work, academia and research, and then maybe Gothic style too - fashion, furniture, art, TV and lit reviews, etc...

Do you think three would be too much?  I don't think the business page would be once it was set up as I could just post short posts, maybe once per week.

I would appreciate your advice, guys!

So... What's been going on with me personally? 

I know I also went through a stage when I posted my weight loss too and I started off at 15stone 8lbs, and now I am currently 14stone 12lb, which means I have lost around 10lbs in total.  I am happy with this - I have been losing a 1lb per week but I haven't been giving as much time to exercise as I was initially.  Hopefully I can build my focus as I get my life back in order.

As you know (if you follow my blog), I was also completing some online courses with Futurelearn.  I'm afraid I took on far too much here as I currently have four courses, and I am three weeks behind.

I completed the Introduction to Journalism, and this was a really useful course.

This week I plan to catch up and complete:

1. Corpus Linguistics 
2. Digital Marketing
3. Developing a Research Project

This means I will then only have a few weeks of the Hans Christian Andersen course to complete.  At that point  I think I will give myself a break as I need to commit more time to Uni work and getting my blog in order.  

I have also became an admin and blogger for a Uni student blog, which is taking some getting used to.

What have you been up to for the last week?  Have you completed any courses, or maybe you have guest posted for another blog?  Paste a comment with your link and I will check it out!

Laters, Janet :)

Why do we like to be scared?

Dear readers

Tonight I just have a thoughtful post.  I was considering the other day why we like to be scared.  

I tend to watch a lot of scary things even though I spend most of my time behind a cushion, terrified. 

So why do I like to be scared?

Well, for a start it is a type of escapism, however, it would be really wrong to just say that and not consider anything else.  

For a start, I think the scare factor sometimes makes our adrenaline pump, and maybe it even makes us feel happy about our own lives because that is not happening to us - maybe it makes us feel lucky and thankful.  

Usually, we can describe whatever type of killer we meet as a monster.  As discussed in my list yesterday, Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer and cannibal, yet he is capable of appearing as an upstanding citizen.  This could be an expression of the unknown - do we really know our neighbour or our friend? It's possible to open the newspaper and find that your neighbour or family or friend has committed a crime - maybe an unthinkable crime, and we feel like we don't really know the person because we didn't imagine they are capable of the crime.  There is a lot on the news at the moment about people being caught with indecent images of children - which is despicable in my eyes and I would be distraught to find out I was their friend or neighbour.  Maybe this type of monster shows our social anxieties of the unknown.  

I link to Hannibal Lecter in particular as I have just sat and watched Hannibal Rising on BBC3.  It covers Hannibal's childhood and what had happened to him that made him turn into the person he is during Silence of the Lambs.  The film was terrifying and brutal, yet how his experience during the war must have affected him, and finding out he had been fed his own little sister in a stew was unthinkable - I found myself thinking 'wow, no wonder he was driven mad and wanted revenge.'  Yes, it was only a story, thankfully.  

So, being scared can signify society and what we are afraid of, maybe it's even a way of accepting that sometimes bad things happen in society too! 

Do you like scary films?  Why do you think people like to be scared?  Do you think it represents society?

Let me know what you think!

Laters, Janet 

My Top Ten All Time Monsters!

Dear Readers  

In a weeks time it will be Halloween, and I don't know about you but my children have been having several discussions around what character they would like to be this year.  As usual I have obscure requests from my daughter, whereas the boys are always happy to be something simple. 

This got me thinking...

Who are my favourite monsters?  

As you all are probably aware (especially if you follow my blog) I love The Gothic - so halloween and monsters in general are on my wavelength.  

I decided to do a list of my top ten monsters and I will briefly explain why.  

1. Carmilla - a female vampire written by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.  She is powerful, and is able to fool families into believing she is helpless when she is in fact, preying on their good nature and usually devouring a neighbour or family member.  
2. Dracula - Bram Stoker's original first vampire Vlad, that comes over to Britain to be accepted and attempts to corrupt women.  All he wants is to fit into society! 
3. Whitefell from the Werewolf by Clemence Houseman.  A charismatic and beautiful lady by day and yet a free (and still charismatic and beautiful) wolf by night.  
4. Dorian Gray's portrait - Oscar Wilde's character who will do anything to ensure self-preservation of youth. 
5. Hyde - a product of science and a part of his creator, Henry Jekyll. A true representation of Jekyll's repressed side - science pushed too far and gone wrong. 
6. Frankenstein's Monster - Mary Shelley's abandoned monster is probably the most misunderstood monstre of all time.  If science hadn't been pushed to his limits, if society had not been cruel and judgemental, then things might have been different for this monster.  He craves acceptance but the treatment he is subjected to is what actually turns him into the monster. 
7. Ayesha - from Ryder Haggard's She (she who must be obeyed).  A powerful leader that the men in the tribe will do actually anything for.  Her control and stature, is captivating and probably makes me a little envious, lol.  
8. Hannibal Lecter - Thomas Harris's serial killer is intelligent, yet disturbing.  Probably the most dangerous type of man around - accepted by society with a career or high standing.  Yet scary!
9. Evil Witch Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The loss of a loved one can turn anyone a little crazy, but when little mouse-like Willow turns into a scary, black-haired, black-eyed, floating figure - she goes from one extreme to the other and almost destroys the whole world.  
10. A Zombie (like in Dawn of the Dead, or World War Z) - these quick, biting, creatures that seem to come in their thousands and never stop or back down unless their head is removed are relentless - and scary.  I certainly wouldn't like a zombie to be knocking on my door on Halloween! 

So here we have vampires, zombies, serial killers, werewolves, demons, witches, supernatural beings, and scientific creation which can all be equally terrifying figures.  Of course there are also ghosts, banshees, spectres and likes of too!  

Who are your favourite all time monsters - TV, Films, or books are fine?  I really wanted to include Voldermort here too but  I did limit myself to ten, lol.   Who frightens you the most? 

Thanks for reading, stop by soon!

Laters, Janet :) 

5 tips on Surviving Football Training by a Newby Football-Mum

I can proclaim that over the last five weeks, I have became a football Mum.  For years I've enjoyed watching my sister freeze her butt off watching her son, and I never once imagined myself stood on the sidelines.  

I'm not a fan of football and neither is my OH.  We've always loved rugby, we don't even mind watching wrestling, or Olympic games, but football is something we just don't watch!  I do know the rules, as I used to go out with a boy who played when I was in my late teens - but I felt it was cool then and enjoyed going to the pub after with his dad who had good banter.  I understood the concepts and rules but I just didn't enjoy it.  

My enjoyment of the sport has now changed... Don't get my wrong I don't suddenly love football, but I love my boys, and I love watching THEM play football.  You see, the enjoyment they get, the way they are growing and developing their skills - if I simply didn't watch them and dropped them off then I would be the one missing out because I wouldn't see this happening.  It's something - that learning, improving, and developing each week is something I could never get back.  

My little one doesn't play in matches as he is only 4, but my 8 year old does, and you know what?  It's exciting!  The team is a new team and has a lot of work to do but the improvement is noticeable every week - and myself, along with a group of other parents support them each week.  My husband and I originally planned to take turns but when he was ill, I found myself at 4 hours worth of training and a match each week.  On Sunday, my hubby was feeling better so we all went to the game and supported the team.  The Sunday before we played an away game, and as we don't have our own car and I couldn't use the one I usually do from my Mum, a kind parent offered us a lift so my son could get there.  This meant we all couldn't go but it still meant I could go with my son.  

Joining a sports club has meant friendship for both of my children and me, because some of the other parents also go and watch each training session and match.  Sure it can be cold, and yes - I now freeze MY but off like my sister, but it's supporting my boys in something they clearly love that keeps them fit and that's enough for me - that is what makes it enjoyable!  

So... here are my five top tips on surviving the training. 

1. Wear layers so you are warm.
2. Ensure YOU pack the bag of boots/equipment etc... because your child is likely to forget something and it's embarrassing.
3. Take drinks!  
4. It's a good idea to take snacks if you have children at training at different times - for instance my little one does training for an hour, then my eldests training follows that - so I do two hours which means snacks are required!
5. Make friends with other parents and endeavour to form a caring community - help out other parents were possible and they will help you out when you need it too .

If you have a car then don't feel bad about taking chairs, covers, and flasks of coffee for yourself too!  

Do you watch your child play sports, or even your OH?  How do you survive?  

Laters, Janet 

Return of the Motivation

Hi readers

Good news!  I think I have finally got my motivation back...

With several personal issues happening over the past few weeks it's certainly been on a long vacation, and I am pleased it's returned.

After still losing 1lb in weight on Monday, I have managed a session at both the gym and swimming this week.  I am surprised that I have continued to lose in all honesty.

I have had a thoughtful few weeks really and I have really been thinking about where I want to go and what I want to do in life.  Last week I returned to Uni and I've missed it so much, and this helped me decide that want to go further with my education once my MA is complete.  I dream of doing a PhD and have been really thinking about what would be a useful thesis but I have an MA dissertation due in September so maybe I should concentrate on that first - let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I mention dreams here because my dreams for the future really drive my motivation...

I dream to be thin - I lost a 1lb - I feel motivated.
I dream of doing a PhD - I feel I learnt at my MA session - I am one step closer to doing a PhD (something I never imagined I might be capable of) and this makes me feel motivated.

So what do you dream of? What keeps you motivated? How do you feel when you take that 1 step closer to fulfilling your dreams?  

If this is important then so are the reasons that make me feel demotivated.  Why did I become demotivated in the first place?

I suppose that's simple - in our family we are all links in a bracelet.  Me and my hubby are the fasteners.  Once the fasteners are undone, the bracelet isn't as strong - we are stronger together.  Basically, my husband being ill for such a period of time meant that there was just one link to support the others, which became very stressed, tired, and worried.  This is demotivating!  Once the he was well, balance was restored as there were once more, two links, holding and supporting the others.

I think my point here is that balance is needed in order to feel motivated.  You might want to do things and feel motivated but as soon as you start taking on too much - making you stressed and taking away the balance, you become demotivated.

Having a balance is key for me and so is making sure I have enough ME time - I don't ask for much: a Thursday coffee with the girls, the occasional night out, a bit of shopping with the mother once or twice per month, and a Sunday bath and pamper for an hour.

Uni is also for me - I love it and in the long run it's for my family but I go because I adore it.  The good thing about my degree is that a lot of the modules have been Gothic based and this is my choice area of study.

What is a key factor of keeping you motivated?  If you attend Uni or College, what motivated you to attend?  Please, share comments of how you are motivated.

Let's hope for more motivation and success in the future for all of us!


Laters, Janet :)

** An update from me **

Hi everyone

I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks as they have been absolutely mental and the family seems to be having a medically challenging time.  

I know most, if not all, will understand how circumstances can affect how often you post.  Due to my husband being ill (he had a UTI that spread to the bladder and caused urinary retention - he couldn't wee) - he ended up in hospital and my Mum ended up for him paying to have tests done privately to find out what the issue was.  He is on the mend now but is extremely tired and he only started to make improvements yesterday evening.  You can only imagine how much pressure this put on me as I had to do all of the dancing clubs, swimming, football, karate with the children, as well as running my husband back and forth from a hospital out of town - about 12 miles away.  

On top of this my son became ill with a sickness bug, and then with a cough and a cold, and I also felt ill with a migraine - I get them when stressed which means I haven't been able to open my computer for a few days.

I also took on some extra work too - we all need money live and Christmas is on the horizon so... 

as you can see ....

things are mental!  

I'm back at Uni tomorrow and will have to work tirelessly on Friday, I'm afraid.  

I will be back next week (and by this point I will have had two weeks away from posting) so watch out for my post - hopefully I'll be fresh as a daisy and full of plans for the rest of the month's post!  

Oh, and good news - I still managed to lose 1lb each week even though I did not partake in my usual gym or swimming which was amazing!  I was so pleased I didn't gain, although surprised, lol.  

Thanks for being patient and continuing to read!

Laters, Janet 

Funny Family Friday - Week 5 - (lost) Dog Day!

Hi readers 

Welcome to week 5 of Funny Family Friday and if you are linking up to Funny Family Friday, or you are a returning link up - thank you so much in advance! If your just here to read, feel free to make a comment in the comments section and share your thought.  

Please link up to either a funny story/post, or a family based post, or even a post about your family pet - it doesn't necessarily have to be funny!  I am not precious about what we link up to as long as it as long as it's not totally inappropriate so come on, let's generate some traffic!

For the rules of Funny Family Friday click here! 

Feel free to grab my badge below and don't forget to link up at the bottom of the page!  

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I've decided to talk about the day Charlie, our much loved family pet who went missing for one day, almost four years ago.  He is a very important part of our family, and deserves his spot on #funnyfamilyfriday even though the event wasn't funny at the time! 

The day arrived and my new drawers arrived for my bedroom, and I decided to have a furniture shuffle.  I moved the bed in front of the feature wall that had just been wallpapered and the bed was a king-size so it took a while to move it and it had to be moved in sections and then the wood had to be laid and screwed in across the bed. I left the under-the-bed drawers on top of the bed so I could put in some of my month old baby's clothes in sorting out what I needed for him.  About 5pm, we moved the old drawers outside and put the new drawers up.  We had been up and down all day, and finally I was ready to put the four drawers back into my bed, and make the bed.  

I cooked our dinner and then about six O'clock I shouted the dog, and he didn't come.  I checked the back garden and shouted him, but he didn't come.  I asked my husband when he had last seen Charlie 'about half 4' he said.  A feeling of dread came over me, I looked in the front garden and the gates were shut - but still no Charlie.  

'He must have gotten out when we put the drawers outside!' I told my husband.  We searched every room and at the time, my husband was driving so he went out, in the dark to look for him.  Charlie was a loyal dog - but he was only 6 months old, still a pup, with no road sense! 

I posted pictures of him on Facebook, sent text messages to all my family and friends.  A few neighbours even had a look around the neighbourhood.  I phoned the police, the dog warden, and the RSPCA as instructed by the police.  I didn't know what else to do!

The children went to bed upset and I couldn't sleep, I was tossing and turning.  

The next day, the kids were heart-broken that we hadn't found our beloved pet and we went out looking.  My baby boy was sick and soaked his sleep suit, so about 11am I went upstairs and opened one of the drawers under my bed and grabbed some baby socks.  As I closed the drawer, I heard a faint whimper.  I pulled out the drawer and looked under the bed, and out ran Charlie.  I scooped him up and ran down stairs, squealing. 'I've found Charlie!' he was so excited but desperate for the toilet.  We let him outside.

He had been under the bed the whole time, without making a sound!  We had spent all day decorating and putting up furniture and he hadn't murmured, and he hadn't had an accident either - but he had managed to get some baby socks and a vest out of the drawer to snuggle into.  He had even made a sound when we had slept on the bed overnight!  

We made him a big drink, and checked him over.  He was absolutely fine and must have gone under the bed when the drawers were out and stayed under when we put the drawers in.  He's only a tiny dog and we hadn't noticed as the bed was so big and he was in the middle.  I was so relieved, but felt so guilty for him being under the bed for such a long period of time.  But I am so pleased he was OK.

Our Charlie <3 

I didn't go public with what had happened as I was embarrassed.  I told close family and friends, but other than that, all I said is we now have Charlie back.  One person asked how I got him back, but I just said he turned up back at the house.  I wasn't totally lying - but there was no way I could admit the real story!  

The thing about our much loved family pet is that he is no bother at all and he likes to sleep.  With it being dark he must have assumed it was night time - but he never barked, whimpered or scampered around or made a noise, as we would have heard him.  I'm just so pleased we found him - and totally embarrassed that I caused a full-scale search, and concern for family and friends.  

Moral of the story: To save trauma, if you lose a pet - make sure you check EVERYWHERE - any open space that they could possibly fit into to!  

Remember that Funny Family Friday is a linky and can be linked up to any family post or any funny post - it doesn't necessarily have to be a funny family story, that's just what I choose to write about! 

I would love it if you could link up, so don't forget to link up with Inlinkz below! 


Laters, Janet 
#funnyfamilyfriday

Mummy = Super-hero - for this week at least!

Dear readers


I didn't post a book review yesterday as I haven't finished my book as I have been too busy being a Super-hero all week! So today, I thought I would post a personal post as this week has been an interesting so far.

Firstly, I had my Journalism course and I also started a 'developing your research project' last week too.  This week I thought I would add even more pressure and start a Corpus Linguistics course - but why? Do I just like stressing myself out? Not really!  I just love studying and I was interested in Corpus but didn't get chance to study.  This week's lecture and activities were fantastic - but I could have done without the extra studying.  My Journalism finishes in two weeks but I start back at Uni then too!

*note to self - MUST GET READING DONE!

Whilst we are on the topic of Uni, I got my MA grades back for last semester and I was pleasantly surprised because I got a first class mark for my Creative Writing piece and critical essay - well the MA is graded differently so I got a distinction grade but if it had been in my BA, I would have scored a first.  I was just a couple of marks off scoring the same for my literature but I ended up with a high 2:1 (merit) grade - overall I am 1% of a first/distinction grade.  If you consider that I am a level higher than BA level - I am making significant improvements and this really gave me confidence.  Even with the barriers in my life - I have still done well, but I still don't believe it.

I studied the Irish Literature and the Supernatural, and I totally connected with the subject.  My literature essay looked at post colonialism represented in Le Fanu's Carmilla, and I talked about the Anglo-Irish, and their social anxiety fears of belonging as they thought of themselves as Englishmen living in Ireland yet to the Catholic Irish, they were not Irish, and to the English, they were Irish.  as

For my creative writing assignment I wrote a fantasy piece, based on a young girls journey of her heritage and destiny - I'm not going to discuss this one any further as it was chapter 4 of a novel I am writing, and intend to complete.  So SSSSHHHHH!!!

When I read my grades, I could have cried with joy because this is better than I ever imagined! 

My husband is still unwell and we don't seem to be getting anywhere with the doctors' as they keep eliminating things around the problem until his course of anti-biotic are complete.  Which is a pain as the children have had activities on everyday so I am running around, here-there-and-everywhere at the moment.  I have also had to go dance-shoe shopping, and also buy a leotard.

To top it off - tomorrow we have cake shopping, tap shoe collection, swimming lessons for my youngest, then half an hour later sees football training for my middle child and tap dancing for the eldest!

In all honesty, I don't expect to post tomorrow but I am hoping to host a linky on Friday.  This one is a funny family story but it involves our pet dog, Charlie! 

Hopefully, after Friday things will have begun to calm down and I can get back on track as I wanted to start offering my English Tuition services again as they have taken a back seat for a few months and I quite enjoy them - but for now, back to my book, Ryder Haggard's She.

Wish me luck!

Kind regards

Janet

Motivation Monday - Week 4

Hi readers,

Hope you are well.  Welcome to week 4 of Motivation Monday and thank you for following me on my weight loss journey.  

Weekly summary
I didn't have a great week overall and I didn't get to the gym, and only swam once.  As I had to do all the kids activities with them, with my other half being unwell, I did do extra walks and housework.  So I was hopeful!

Eating wise I did have a take away on Saturday evening, but other than that, I stuck to my diet plan but again, didn't have high hopes for this week.  

Exercise
As I mentioned, I didn't go to the gym, just swimming and lots of walking this week.  

Diet Example
On Sunday I had a Sunday lunch and we made our own Pizza so I made home-made bases and then everyone else decorated them.  I was able to monitor portion size, control what foods were in the base, I made my own sauce with passata, basil, garlic and a touch of salt, and only used a little low fat cheese.  This was great as I like mushrooms, peppers, onions, sweetcorn, and I was able to put more of the things on that I enjoy and skimp on the cheese.  I only made a small pizza, however it was very filling and tasty - everyone loved them! 

My five weekly Motivation Monday questions

1# How much do I weigh today?  15stone exactly so I am thrilled (and shocked) to announce that I lost 3lb.  

2# How do I feel about that? Very, very pleased, and still determined to keep going! 

3# What kept me motivated all week?  I didn't really have a motivation this week - I think I just took everything on with my other half being ill and I didn't want to fail.  To be honest my diet and exercise came last - but I'm so thrilled that I was able to look after myself as well as others.   

4# What is my aim for this week?  I would like to lose 2lb each week if possible, and as my husband is still ill, I just want to attempt the two swims, and maybe one gym session at least as well as the walking and housework.  I want to spring clean the downstairs as I did the upstairs last week so hopefully keeping active will assist my weight loss.  

5# What did I find easy/difficult?  I found with my husband being ill I had less time to spend on myself and I just felt constantly tired and drained, as well as being worried.  I found keeping active easy as I was the only one who could get on with what I needed to do.  

My weekly Motivation Monday Tip
Try to keep focussed and not think too much about how the housework keeps you active as this could mean you become overly confident - which could mean failure. 

Words of wisdom! 
Accept a treat but don't get too over-confident because you lost weight two weeks in a row. Set a good example and keep working for what you want and then you can be proud of the results.

Thanks for reading - and feel free to comment and help me stay motivated this week.  

Just hope I can keep it up!

Laters, Janet

Sunday Summary 27/09/2015

Dear Readers,

My Sunday Summary this week will be fairly short and sweet (and late, sorry about that).  As I explained on Friday things didn't exactly go as planned this week.  On the plus side, personally, I have been a MacMillan coffee morning, and I took the children to their swimming lessons and they have been moved up to the next stage already - all good news, we are getting there guys!  

What did I post this week? 
Well, Monday was motivation Monday, and I lost - woohoo!  I don't have high expectations for this week but we will see what tomorrow brings.  I posted a book review of Jekyll and Hyde, and Wednesday was five steps to a relaxing bath which you might have found interesting.  On Thursday I talked about a personal experience of afternoon tea - but on Saturday I posted about my own home-made afternoon tea that I had made.  I didn't post a Funny Family Friday linky this week, but I did post discussing why I hadn't and how things don't always go to plan.  Hope this week, despite being my 'rough' week made an interesting read.


So, what did I like/dislike and why? 
I enjoyed having a vent on Friday about why things hadn't gone to plan - who doesn't like a good moan now and then?  I don't think I had time to enjoy a lot of my posts this week, but I did enjoy reviewing Jekyll and Hyde as it was a great read, and I also liked posting about my home-made afternoon tea.  


What to look out for next week! 
I do have some plans for during the week, but I am going to leave it open for now as it depends on my circumstances as I haven't had time to read the book I was reading or do the online courses I was doing so this week is going to be my catch up week! 

Thanks for reading my Sunday Summary, if you would like to advertise your blog, guest post for me, or if there are any topics you would like to see me discuss in a blog post, please email me at janetcoopercw@gmail.com

I would love your input!  

Laters, Janet 

My Home Made Afternoon Tea

Hi readers

A few days ago I talked about why I loved afternoon tea and I finally did my own variation.  It took me TWO hours and my husband ended up helping - oh yes, it wasn't easy but it went down a treat.



As I was making this for children we had to have simplistic sandwiches so I made ham, egg, and grated cheese.

We had some pastries: mini sausage rolls, quiche, and blinis. I also made cheese scones and flapjacks.

I also chopped salad and made a selection of three cakes including lemon drizzle cake, butterfly fairy cakes (with butter icing), mini double chocolate muffins topped in white chocolate.

I then made a pot of tea and we all (except for my OH) had a cup of tea too!

Overall it went down a treat and although I only cooked a few sausage rolls and made a few sandwiches (3 quarter triangles each) there was far too much food.  We had quiche left which was eaten the next day, and we had cakes, scones, and flapjacks that lasted a number of days.

The thing that I liked about this was the choice, plus it was nice to have cake available for guests and for the kids to have the odd snack - although I wont be doing this on a weekly basis haha!  The thing I liked about home made food (cakes, scones, flapjacks, quiche) is that I control what I use so I knew what we were eating - so they are healthier for my family (although, still an obvious treat).

It's my little ones fourth birthday on Friday and I would love to do this again - but we will see what today brings.  Basically, I suppose mine was just a posh buffet type tea but we all enjoyed the selection.

There are pictures below so see for yourself, laters, Janet

Orange and Pistachio Cake

Funny Family Friday week 4 - My Moan (LINKY NOT GOING AHEAD AS PLANNED)

Hello readers

I planned to post another funny family Friday linky today, however, I have had a hectic week and not a very funny one at that.  I just couldn't write a funny story today as I feel drained so I thought I would have a moan instead, so sorry, the linky is not going ahead as planned, but it will run next week! 

Funny Family Friday  My Moan!

It started on Saturday when my 3-year-old injured his elbow.  It was find at first but kept waking him up through the night so I took him to our urgent care centre who X-rayed it and said it wasn't broken and probably just the scrape that was causing the pain.  I told her I was glad it wasn't broken but it wasn't the scrape because his elbow was hurting and the scrape was further down his arm.  I asked if it could be a sprain and she stuck a dressing on the scrape and dismissed me, insisting it was the scrape, and suggesting I give both ibuprofen and paracetamol to my child.  She told me his X-ray would be checked at the hospital but neither her or the radiographer could see a fracture so I just left.  I had to prop his arm up with a pillow in bed but continued with what they said.

The next day, he couldn't lift his arm up and sometimes he supported it by holding his wrist with his other hand, or it looked a bit limp and floppy beside him. He cried when he had to put a top on and off but I kept on with the pain killers and even took him to his swimming class as he really wanted to go.  He did have a bit more flexibility in the water.  The swelling seemed to go down a little on the Monday and I let him go to nursery.  I live opposite so I told them to contact me if it was bothering him.  They didn't call me but they did say he seemed to be favouring his other arm.  When I got in after school, I received a call asking how my little one's arm was.  I said he couldn't lift it up above his head or lift himself from a laying to a sitting position as it hurt.  I asked why, and the lady said that the hairline fracture had been missed as fluid/blood was leaking into the bone and that I needed to take him to the fracture clinic the next day.

By Tuesday he could raise his arm above his head, the swelling had gone and he said if the Doctor asked him, he was going to say 'it's fine it doesn't hurt' all because he didn't want a cast as it would risk him being able to go to football.  The Doctor said the fracture was tiny, and that as he was moving his arm and seemed to be using it again, he didn't want to restrict it by putting on a cast.

I totally understood and it was much better - but I wondered if they would have come to that originally if the fracture had been correctly diagnosed. Who knows?

Anyway proceeding this, my husband is ill and is now onto his third set of antibiotics - spent Tuesday afternoon in the fracture clinic and then Tuesday evening in A and E with my husband.  He still isn't well and we went back to the Doctor's today for the strongest antibiotics so hopefully these will work!

Sometimes you don't realise how much your other half does until they are ill.  My hubby does the tea a couple of nights per week, does the weekend washing and ironing (I do midweek), he tends to do the pots after tea and clean the kitchen, we take turns bathing the children, taking them to bed, taking them to sports clubs, school drop offs and pickups, and this week I have had everything to do which has been hard.  Plus I've looked after him as he is totally wiped out!

I really appreciate everything he generally does and realise that teamwork is a huge factor in our family, and I am lucky that we support one another as much as we do as if there is one missing link, it really puts pressure on the other and it's in danger of crumbling, but luckily, we are both strong people and can support the family in the absence of the other as we rise to the challenge, no matter how hard it is.

On top of all this, my daughter had stomach ache and was off school on Wednesday.  She didn't look well and then seemed to make a miraculous recovery in the afternoon.  The more I think about it, I think she was trying to get out of her after school sports club to be honest!

Anyway, I now have a cold and the lads are coughing!  

Basically we are the unwell and accident prone family this week.  What doesn't change is how we look after and club together to support each other as we have all chipped in this week to help and that's what family is all about.  Although we haven't all been great, we all had illnesses that we can recover from and we are all lucky to have each other.  

Really love my family and here's hoping that next week is a well/accident free week (if that's possible, lol).

Thanks for stopping by,

Laters, Janet

Not so #funnyfamilyfriday

Why I Loved Afternoon Tea!

Dear readers,

Afternoon tea seems to be increasing in popularity here in the UK at the moment.  At one point, it would have been something that a well-off person would do with friends, but several Tea Rooms have opened, or even restaurants have started offering this - even a fish and chip shop in my area has its own variation.

I had been to a garden afternoon tea a few years ago for charity.  We were offered cucumber sandwiches, dips with carrot and celery sticks, scones, and a range of cakes - and pimms along with a large tea-pot of good old tea.  It was pleasant - maybe a bit more like a village fete because there were raffles, stalls and tombolas.  I didn't mind the experience - but it probably wasn't something I would do regularly.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a baby shower - at a tea room, and we had afternoon tea.  The thought of eating crustless finger sandwiches again made me think 'will I have enough to eat?' and I didn't really fancy cucumber.  I had paid £5 for my last afternoon tea, however this was £15. I was looking forward to the company though as it would be nice to catch up with friends.

All I can say is that now I'm a convert... This was a superb afternoon tea.  We got 4 sandwich triangles each but the fillings were all different.  We had tuna, feta and pesto, egg mayo, and ham and mustard.  I started with the egg because I knew I would like it - but it turned out I liked each and every type.  The tuna was not swimming in mayo, the feta and pesto was great to try and not one I would have chosen.  I thought I hated mustard but it turns out, it's OK.

I am such a fussy cake eater because I only ever like chocolate cake usually.  There was a chocolate fudge brownie, vanilla cheese cake, a scone, raspberry cake, and an orange and pistachio cake.  I tend to like cheese cake and anything chocolate.  It was all served with jam and clotted cream - I don't like jam either.  I know I don't like scones as I hate raisins but I tried the other cakes.  The orange and pistachio cake was that nice, that I had to make one at home - this was my favourite.  The raspberry cake wasn't a favourite of mine though.  I still left full and I was surprised at how full I actually was!

The point of it all is that by getting a selection of things, it meant I got to try new things.  I do like cheese and cherry scones, and I have checked out some other afternoon tea places that offer quiche, mini pork pies, sausage roles, fruit, a salad garnish, and things like cocktail sausages too.  This got me thinking because afternoon tea can be such a varied option but overall it's a great way to try a little of everything. Like I said I have also seen a fish and chip shop variation too!

I really want to do one, on a Saturday for my children. I'm pretty good at baking cakes, and I am sure I could make up a menu that would suit us all in this house, plus it's something new to try.

Now I just need a cake stand and new tea pot - so I must sweet talk the hubby!

My advice to you is that if you have not already tried afternoon tea and have the chance, try it, you might like it - or make your own!

I will be posting pictures and a review of my own afternoon tea on Saturday, so watch out for this to see how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Laters, Janet :)

Five Steps to a Relaxing Bath (even if you have kids)

My dear readers,

Relaxing is important - but if your anything like me you won't get much time to do this... 

Between work, children, keeping a house, and studying, relaxing doesn't score highly on my list of priorities.  

I started doing the self care posts during September, as a result of my holiday in August.  I visited the Spa, and it dawned on my how important it is to care for yourself.  I am also losing weight so caring for myself and body is important to me.  



I now dedicate an hour on a Sunday evening for a long relaxing bath - last week I talked about my foot care regime which follows my bath, and the week before that I talked about a facial - which I now reward myself with on a weekly basis all in this hour in which I also have a relaxing bath (whilst I complete the first part of my facial up to the facial scrub).  

So, now back to this weeks topic: A Relaxing Bath.  Here are my five steps to making the bath as relaxing as possible.

1. Choose a time that suits all, when you are less likely to be disturbed.  Explain to anyone who is up, that you are going in the bath and you don't want to be interrupted.  
2. Lock the door - ask if anyone needs the toiler (if you only have one) and ensure you are locked in or have absolutely no chance of being disturbed.  You set the rules here so don't be shy!
3. Have some bubble bath or bath bomb and run a nice, hot, steamy, bath. 
4. Have a Yankee candle, or incense sticks - or both - decorate the bathroom to your taste with music if you wish..
5. Choose a book or magazine, and have a towel by your bath so you can dry your hands easily.  I find reading a chapter in a nice hot bubble bath is very relaxing and it takes your mind off everyday life.  

This list of tips may seem simplistic, but  it's easy to forget to do at least one of these things if you are not in the habit of doing them.  It's taken a while for me to get it into my head and my hot relaxing bath soothes my back, and also provides me with the opportunity to soak my feet - so both the facial and the foot care can be done during the time (and just after) the bath, so you can make all three part of your self care routine.  

Next week, I talk through a ten minute manicure and this is the final part of my self care post series!

Don't forget to take care of yourself this coming week, laters, Janet :) 

Book Review: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Well, I knew the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in theory, although I had never read it directly - I've seen a TV programme and there was also a Scooby-Doo episode on this too.  It was actually different to what I could remember,

So what did I like...
I liked the fact that the story was from the point of view of Henry Jekyll's friend, as the mystery unfolds in his eyes and I found this interesting.  If I hadn't known most of the story already, I think it would have added to the mystery.  I also enjoyed reading how the Hyde side of Jekyll took him over in Jekyll's statement at the end of the story as it was interesting to hear from his point of view also and how it had led to his demise.

What I didn't like...
Overall I did enjoy the story, but I just didn't get why Hyde killed the man in the street.  I re-read Henry Jekyll's confession letter and Lanyon's but I couldn't grasp an explanation - unless I have completely missed something.  The maid fainting at the site of a murder annoyed me a little!

It was good to read, and it was quite short so I found it easy.  I liked how Stevenson used the fog, and darkness to make his story give a sense of eeriness.  I thought the character of Henry Jekyll was really interesting, how he was lured into a different world from an upstanding and well respected citizen into a dark and criminal world - which he kind of liked and felt drawn to this dark side of him.  I think this represents today's society as it is easy to be drawn into something that is bad, and you struggle to get out of as it takes hold of you.  Hyde is Jekyll's addiction but he is also the side of Jekyll that has been repressed for many years.

Have you read Jekyll and Hyde?  What did you think?  Have I missed something or do you have something to add?

I would love to hear your comments!

Laters, Janet

Motivation Monday - Week 3

Hi readers,

Hope you are well.  Welcome to week 3 of Motivation Monday and thank you for following me on my weight loss journey.  

Weekly summary
Last week I posted about having a tough week, but I have been much more focussed this week and was hopeful for weight loss to occur - anything would do as long as it was a loss.  I couldn't forget the feeling of disappointment all week, when I hadn't lost weight and I think posting my journey is helping as I certainly didn't want to post another post this week stating failure - because that's how I feel when I don't lose, and it's an emotional roller coaster.  I got thinking, is a slip up, really failure - well for me it was because I know I didn't do what I could to ensure a loss but it was a learning curve.  Knowing that all my hard work the week before was crushed by one bad week was crushing, and the fact I knew I had to post the truth was even worse - I felt embarrassed.  Hopefully this has taught me that I must do better every week as if I had lost last week and I hadn't really put any effort in might have made me not put the effort in every week - but now I know I have to and if I don't I have to come on here and admit it! 

I did indulge a little yesterday as I made an afternoon tea as our evening meal so I had made cakes, sausage rolls, quiche, salad, a selection of sandwiches, flapjacks, and some cheese scones.  I suppose that really, everything was homemade and sugar and fat content was controlled - but I tried not to be greedy - I drank a glass of water before I ate, ate slowly, and stopped when I felt full.  I did have a taste of most things, but I limited my portion size.  

Overall, this week I have noticed a difference in my stomach area.  Last week I felt bloated, but this week I looked in the mirror and thought 'wow, I do look a little trimmer!'  That doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of work to do.  Even though I slipped up last week, I have still maintained exercise - walking, swimming, and gym, and even though I didn't do as much, I still did some so I suppose that is a bonus.  I do feel more positive this week, and when you don't succeed you certainly shouldn't dwell on it, you just have to dust yourself off and try again.  

Exercise
This week, I have been to the Gym three times.  I went swimming the twice but the swimming is making me stronger as I swim constantly now for 25 minutes without resting.  Again, I have still walked everywhere and my boys started football on a Monday and Friday, so I now walk there and back which is an extra 30 minute walk to add to my day.  I feel like my fitness levels are increasing and it's a great feeling.  

Diet Example
This week I want to tackle the issue of eating out, because I don't know about you but I still want to enjoy myself on occasion.  On Wednesday I went out shopping with my Mum, niece, and family friend to a retail park.  We ended up in a cafe that specialises in Jacket Potatoes but I didn't want plain or beans, and the only other fillings had a lot of sauce/mayo or cheddar cheese.  I looked at other options and they did something called toppers, and this is chopped up potato, topped with something.  There was an option for rocket, with a sprinkling of mozzarella, and a drizzle of pesto (there was also an option to add toasted pine nuts).  I really fancied this, so I tried it.  I am not a huge fan of rocket, but it was fresh and a drizzle of pesto and sprinkling of mozzarella really made it tasty.  

I guess what I am trying to say here is - my choice wasn't perfect, but I did think about my choice.  With the topper, I got less potato, so my portion size overall was smaller.  Mozzarella is slightly better for you and it was only a small amount - the pesto wasn't ideal, but it wasn't overpowering so I would guess that there was approximately a flat tablespoon drizzled - if that!  Just make a choice that works for you - everyone deserves a treat now and then, but after my slip previously, I would be careful not to give yourself to many as I did.  


My five weekly Motivation Monday questions

1# How much do I weigh today?  15stone 3lb - which means I have lost the 4lb I put back on last week, yipee!

2# How do I feel about that? I am pleased but I am determined to keep up the good work.  I might have lost more if I hadn't made an afternoon tea yesterday and indulged in a few small cakes/pastries.  Other than that I have been good all week but surprised I lost 4 as only expected maybe 1 or 2lb.

3# What kept me motivated all week?  The thought of how bad I felt the previous week.  

4# What is my aim for this week?  I would like to lost again, maybe 2-3lb, and I want to keep up at three gym visits and 2 adult swims.  

5# What did I find easy/difficult?  I found yesterday difficult as I made a home-made afternoon tea and I wanted to indulge but I felt guilty - last week guilt, anger, and generally emotional - this is certainly an emotional roller coaster. 

My weekly Motivation Monday Tip
Think about how good it feels to lose a bit of weight, and also how much better it makes you feel! 


Words of wisdom! 
Don't be afraid to eat out or indulge a little as a treat but remember not to go overboard - make better choices and think about what food you are choosing.  

Thanks for reading - and feel free to comment and help me stay motivated this week I appreciate you reading and hope to have good news for the following weeks - but hey, we are only human and weight loss can be tedious! 

Laters, Janet

Sunday Summary 20/09/2015

Dear Readers,

I hope you have enjoyed my posts this week - wow the weeks are flying by and yes, it's time once again for my Sunday Summary.

My children's swimming lessons started today so I lost my Sunday lie-in lol!

What did I post this week? 
Well, Monday was the start of my Motivation Mondays and basically this is about me and my health regime/weight loss - this week the post concentrated on how I lacked motivation in the second week and put on 4lb of the 5lb I had lost the week previous.  I must admit I was gutted about this and the post had me close to tears.  On Tuesday, was my weekly book review post and I reviewed The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.  Wednesday I posted on foot care - six easy ways to care for tired feet which is part of my self-care posts I am running this month, and Thursday was a list post - 10 Random Facts you didn't know about me - which it was difficult thinking of ten things I hadn't already shared, but once I had my facts was nice and quick.  Friday of course was my Funny Family Friday which I shared my Son's strange kissing obsession, and Saturday was a post about free courses I have been studying which are enjoyable and worthwhile.  


So, what did I like/dislike and why? 
I liked my book review this week, and Friday's linky post.  I really enjoyed reading Dorian Gray, much more than I thought I would, so I enjoyed writing the review.  The funny things my son does amuse me and I really enjoy sharing them - even his strange kissing obsession, and I am really interested to find out if anyone else's children have strange obsessions too!  I disliked writing Motivation Monday this week - it was really hard for me emotionally as I was disappointed at putting weight on.  It's hard to admit the truth - even to people you don't know personally as I was so disappointed but I suppose dieting is one of those things in life that a lot of people struggle with and I have been much more focussed this week, so fingers crossed!   


What to look out for next week! 
Next week's post begins with Motivation Mondays so fingers crossed for me this week guys! 

You can also expect a book review of Jekyll and Hyde, Five steps to a relaxing bath, Why I love Afternoon tea, and my Linky which is about challenging behaviour - parent payback #funnyfamilyfriday  I also plan on Saturday, (if all goes to plan,) of making my own Afternoon Tea and hopefully I will post pictures and talk through what I included -wish me luck with that one as I have lots on next week, lol. 

Thanks for reading my Sunday Summary, and I hope you are excited for next weeks post.  If you would like to advertise your blog, guest post for me, or if there are any topics you would like to see me discuss in a blog post, please email me at janetcoopercw@gmail.com

I would love your input!  

Laters, Janet 

My Review so Far: Free Introduction to Journalism Course

Hi readers

As you have probably already concluded, I love to learn and education is really important to me.  I recently decided to take on a 6 week Introduction to Journalism with Future Learn.  The great thing about Futurelearn is that the courses are free, however, if you want a formal certificate then you do need to pay at the end of the course but there is no pressure to do so.

Basically, you can complete a course of interest, wherever you are in the world which is great as I am only on to my second week and I have already met some great people from different walks of life, with different careers and experience.

Materials are released on a Monday, and you watch videos and take part in activities.  There is a comments box at the bottom of each page and sometimes you are asked to share your thoughts.  Another positive thing here is that it is actually ran through real educational establishments so for example, the University of Strathclyde run the Journalism course and you get to watch real lectures (run for under 10 minutes).  You do have to spend a few hours per week - I spend about 3-4 hours on the Journalism course, but I also started a course called Developing your Research Project, as I thought this would be handy as I have to complete a dissertation for my MA English next year.  This course is with the University of Southampton and only requires an hour per week - so each course is different.

I am really enjoying these courses and as they are short courses, they finish within the first few weeks of returning to Uni, so it's great interim learning and keeping my mind active in the meantime.  I also thought the journalism in particular will be useful for me, as this week we got to write and article, and then rewrite and edit an article which is great to help me develop my writing.  In the first week, we looked at interview techniques which was also useful.

You get feedback from other learners on your work, which was also really useful - everyone was constructive, yet really nice.  You also have to comment on at least one other learner's work, which was also a good experience and it was good to see how someone else would write in comparison to your own.  For instance, someone included something in their piece that I didn't even think about so I complimented them on their proactive thinking.

If you can spare some time and want to improve your skills and knowledge, I would certainly recommend giving Futurelearn a try as my current experience has been great, and I'm looking forward to Monday when the new week's course material will be released.

Free learning is rare, so if you're ambitious, and you feel ready, I see check out their website and see if they have anything for you!

www.futurelearn.com

Laters, Janet