Wow. Christmas soon flew by! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all the very best for 2015, I hope it's the best year ever for everyone.

Here's this weeks meal plan. Lots of Christmas food to use up this week. I think I over bought but none of it will go to waste, so it doesn't really matter.

Monday - Chicken curry with long grain rice and naan bread.

Tuesday - Beef burgers with fries and salad.

Wednesday - NEW YEARS EVE!! Different flavoured pizzas with chips/wedges and a selection of dips.  Lots of snacks also available for a special evening. 

Thursday - NEW YEARS DAY!!! Lamb roast dinner. (Brocolli, Roast parsnips, yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, roast potatoes, mash potatoes, served with gravy and mint sauce)

Friday - Chicken wraps with a selection of salad.

Saturday - Kids can choose whatever is left in the freezer.

Sunday - Sausage, mash and peas served with gravy.

What's on your meal plan this week? 

Sarah xXx

Happy new year everyone!!! I hope you all had a fab Christmas and new year and managed to relax over the holidays.
It's week one of Reasons To Be Cheerful! Yay! Here are are my reasons to be cheerful this week.

1) We had an amazing Christmas! I was blessed with lots of lovely presents, you can read more about our Christmas here. The kids had a fab Christmas too, with lots of presents and they have some gift vochures to spend. We spent lots of family time together, awesome! :)

2) I have set myself a few goals for 2014. Something to aim for! I am determined to lose weight and get fit, seriously it HAS to happen! I'll feel much more confident and happier in myself.

3) I can't wait to get back into routine. The kids go back to school next week. I'll miss them when they go back to school but it will be jolly good to be back into some kind of routine. I've got lots of arts and crafts and other activities planned for after school. I really want to get back into doing more arts and crafts etc. I feel that the second half 2013, we just didn't do enough family activities together. I'm also looking for some new childrens books that I can read to the kids, any recommendations?

4) I have also decided to take part in the 365 project (a photo a day for a whole year!) =) 

So those are my reasons to be cheerful this week. Why not share you reasons to be cheerful this week which is being hosted by Lakes Single Mum.

Sarah xXx

I am going to set myself some goals for this year, something to aim towards. I did quite well last year, when I did this. One of my goals last year was to blog more and I certainly achieved that! I am also way more positive than I was a year ago!! It's amazing how much positive thinking really can help!
 I have high hopes for 2014 and a few things that I really want to change...

1) Get organised and STAY organised! I really need to organise my bedroom and the kids rooms much better! I need to invest in some kind of storage unit for Ellie's room and a large wardrobe for my room. I also need to organise my kitchen draws better. Is it just me that has three "junk" draws? lol.

2) I want to lose weight. I don't NEED to lose weight but I would like to be eight stone again. So about a stone and a half to loose.. maybe even two stone, I'm not sure what I weigh but I know I weigh more than I ever have! I'd like to fit into my clothes again, I hate having nothing to wear/living in leggins. I'm 5ft3 and I do look a little on the tubby side if I'm honest. The top of my arms are huge :(
Things to help me lose weight -

• Use the excerise bike for half an hour (at least) a day
• Lots more walking! 
• No fizzy drinks, sugary foods, fatty foods etc.
• Eat healthier!
• Invest in a George Foreman grill.

3) Meal plan more!! I meal planned a few times last year, it really helped me organise myself when it came to cooking meals, it also helped me save money! So my plan is to meal plan EVERY week! I need to do this!!

4) Read more. Instead of watching crap on T.V, I should really read, instead! I also want to read to the kids more often. I enjoy reading to them and they enjoy ME reading to them.

5) Blogging - I really would like to keep on blogging like I have been. But I also would like to interact more with bloggers, make friends and socialise more on social media!

6) Achieve more things from my bucket list. I am going to set a bucket list for each season.. Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter. I really love having something to look forward to and/or aim for! The kids also think it's great fun, hehe. 

Do you have any new years resolutions or goals?

Sarah xXx


This post is linked up with TOTS100 new years resolutions linky :) 


This post is also linked up with Post Comment Love

Wow, I just gave my blog a makeover, thanks to my friend Mama Owl for the banner etc and I finally have my own button. I can not thank Julie enough!! I still need to add a view things, links & sort the background out. One of my goals this year is to blog more, I also would love to do more reviews, I really enjoy writing reviews.

While we're on the subject of goals, with it being a new year here are my goals for this year:

• Blog more. I love blogging, sometimes though, I get lazy and think that I have nothing to really "say", although there is always something I could blog about! 
• I really want to redecorate the front room and sort the kids rooms out. I need to this in order to help me with my next goal (more on this in a moment). I know that money is always tight but I have so many cheaper ideas (thanks pinterest!) that it really IS doable. 
• To be more organised - Yes. I am very unorganised  If I can get this house re decorated and some more storage space (mainly the kids rooms), then I know I *can* and *will* be more organised! 
• To budget better. I did this for most of the year last year (up until around September, when I started the Christmas shopping) I did really well with budgeting, I really want to get back into the swing of things. 
• To lose a little weight/tone up + Eat more healthy I was doing well with this too. I lost around 8lbs before Christmas... then the holiday season kicked in and I put the weight back on. Not saying I'm fat because I'm not... I am quite a small person, probably around 9ish stone but I look 4 months pregnant. (Too many chocolates and yummy deserts over the festive season) So perhaps just lose a few lbs and tone up! Cutting out the fizzy drinks again would really help! I'd feel much more confident in myself and i'd fit perfectly back into size 8 again! Which is about right for my frame and height. I'm going to get back into making all my own meals again. I slacked a little on this last year, I did have rather a lot going on though. Got a recipe you'd like to share with me? Let me know. =] 
• Read more! I love to read, I really want to participate in the 50 books challenge. (book suggestions are welcome!) I will be writing a post on this and linking up sometime next week, I need to decide which books I'd like to read :) 
• Be more positive. I am WAY more positive than I was this time last year! Sometimes my anxiety gets the better of me, I need to beat that! 
• MOTIVATION - Stay motivated! 
• Take more photos (Because I got a new Nikon camera for Christmas, omdz! I love it!)

So those are my goals for this year. I know they might seem a bit high and a bit much but I know I can achieve them all if I put my mind to it! It's just a case of staying motivated to be honest. I can do it though! Also hoping to see some improvement with my brain condition (Idiopathic intracranial hypertension). Although my headaches haven't been as bad the past month or so, sometimes I do end up having to lay down. Also have bad days with my eyes, where the light hurts my eyes or my vision goes a little blurred/out of focus. I'm going to keep a proper log of that this year, too.
I have a few ideas on day trips for the kids, low cost, too. I really need to start planning those. I live right by the seaside, 2 mins on a bus... We need to go to the beach more this summer. And swimming, family tickets are cheap on certain days! I also live right by the park where they have AstroTurf and basketball courts, the kids love those! And a nature trail track.. I really slacked last year but this year is going to be different.

What are your goals for 2013?
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Sarah xXx

First of all, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and new year! We had a fab Christmas and new year and I plan on doing my Christmas post this coming weekend. I've been away for a week so I haven't been able to update. But I promise there are a few posts coming soon! So for now here are my reasons to be cheerful.

1) I took the Christmas tree and a cards etc down today, I am a little sad the holidays are over but at the same time.. I'll be really relieved for things to go back to normal and see what this year is going to bring. :)
2) I have a lovely time up north visiting my fella and his family, the kids had a wonderful time, none of us wanted to come home, blah! It was really lovely though.
3) We had an AMAZING Christmas. Spending time with the kids and my fella and having nothing to rush around for, just relax... was lovely! Minus a few minor hiccups, Christmas went really well! I got a lovely new digital camera. Yay! The kids all got what they really wanted but more importaintly we all got to spend t ime together as a family, play games, watch random T.V and eat lovely food. I think if I see another piece of chocolate I'll puke LOL, I really over did it on the chocolate LOL. Oh well... It was Christmas :x


Happy New Year!
Sarah xXx