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Day 11 – Indecisive Furniture Placement

Feb1

I’ve started laying out where everything is going to go and it is really hard to actually make a decision. We loaded the table into the van and dragged it up the stairs to see where it would look in various different places. Having never studied the art of Feng Shui I was not limited by the need to harmosie my environment so can pretty much put things wherever I want. I really hope Feng Shui is the correct term for the thing that I am trying to describe. I’m thinking of the Chinese thing where you place furniture in order to harmonise your home, I would hate to find out that I have actually said something completely different and offended someone! Maybe it is something I should look at as I could really do with some harmony right now! Watch this space we may be re-branding to “Sam’s guide to Feng Shui and I’m suddenly going to become a much calmer and cooler version of myself. I have now found myself Googling Feng Shui and I’m actually getting a bit interested so I think I’m going to close that tab now and get back to deciding the location of my dining room table before I add another complicated factor to the mix. On a completely unrelated note can you still call a dining table a “dining room table” if you do not actually have a dining room? I think maybe the correct term is a “dining table” which would make a lot more sense and I do not really understand why I have been bought up to call it a “dining room table”. Perhaps it was because my parents had a dining room. I apologise I have digressed very far away from the topic of this post and will now yet again steer myself back to the topic in hand which is the placement of my dining table which is from this point forward going to be known as the living table as it is located in the living room.

It is all a bit slow now until I get the carpet laid so I ended up going to my old flat to box up some more stuff. This was the last box so ended up having all the random things in it that did not fit in any other box, hence the name of “the shit box”. This then resulted in yet another distraction when me and my friend ended up decorating the boxes with Miranda Hart quotes and doodles. Why have a boring moving box when you can have one this colourful?

img_3781-2

I did tell you it had been a slow day!

Today’s Trip to IKEA

Jan26

Over the past couple of months I have collected 99% of the furniture I need so my trip to IKEA today was mainly to get a couple of lights and a few little bits to make the flat more personal and homely. This was only the second time I have ever been to IKEA and I found myself spending 3 and a half hours there. I originally had one of those yellow shopping bags as I was not expecting to get that much but once I had got to the kitchen section I had to swap this for a trolley. I loved looking round all of the rooms for ideas and inspiration. It demonstrates so well that you do not need a big space in order to make it look amazing.

hallway-lamp

I got this hanging pendant light for the hallway. You can pull the string to open or close the light in order to brighten or dim the room. Not my normal style but I do love it. I got the one pictured which is white with silver inside but there is also a gold one. There are others which are not metal and these are either green or orange inside.

boja

Also got this lovely little Boja table lamp for the living room. It looks so beautiful when lit up and each one is slightly different due to the bamboo. The best thing about buying a light from IKEA is how they have them all displayed so you can see what they look like when switched on. They also have the recommended bulbs (All LED, great for the environment and your electric bill!) next to the lamps so you can buy both together and make sure you have the correct bulb for that light.

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Half a Shameless Plug

Jan22

“A “shameless plug” is a term often used on the Internet to refer to a time when someone tries to include (or “plug”) some information that helps advance their own selfish interests. And that information is usually a little bit off-topic.”

Thank you google for the above definition which has allowed me to reduce my Shameless Plug to only Half a Shameless Plug. Why is it only half a Plug? Well I am not technically advancing my own selfish interests, I’m advancing the interests of our Children In Need challenge! 

Click here to visit our Children In Need fundraising website and help us raise lots for Children In Need

12 challenges in 12 months raising as much money as we can. 

Emergency Little Kettle

Jan21

Being English we are a stereotypical family of tea drinkers. Love the stuff. Yorkshire Tea especially along with Twinings Fruit Infusions, Chamomile and Earl Grey.

We are currently at the new flat. There’s lots of work being done by my dad and the decorator who is called Chris. Dad warned Chris not to let me near a paint pot or any filler so I have been relegated to the very important role of “Tea Maker”. I do make a good cup of tea! Before my first visit to the flat yesterday I bought tea, coffee, hot chocolate and milk. I offered my dad a cup of tea before realising I hadn’t moved any mugs in yet! So there was no tea for dad that night.

However this morning I was prepared for my job as Tea Maker. To avoid going through all of my stuff to find some mugs I borrowed some from the parents and took them to the flat. I offered Dad and Chris a cup of coffee and went to the kitchen to make it. I got the mugs out and went to boil the kettle. It then dawned on me that there was no kettle. Having failed at my job for the second time in two days I snuck over to the petrol station across the road and got two lattes. A small thing like a lack of kettle will not stop me from fulfilling my job as Tea Maker. However as I was not actually making tea I should probably rename my job to “Beverage Maker”. Actually I did not make the coffee either due to lack of kettle so I think in fact it should be “Beverage Provider”.

Anyway, I knew in order to fulfill my job I needed to acquire a kettle. I have a lovely little purple kettle waiting to be moved in but this is all packed and I am rather reluctant to unpack anything due to the amount of dust that is currently being generated by the knocking down of a piece of wall and lots of filling of the walls. So I went on a little trip to the shops to locate a cheap kettle. I went into Argos, filtered their Kettles by price and this little beauty popped up:

“Simple value cordless white kettle” which cost me the pricey sum of £5.49. I was a little bit concerned that there was no plug on the kettle so resorted to unpacking it in the middle of the town centre just to check. Turns out that when they say “cordless” they mean the actual kettle, not the electric bit it sits on and there is infact a plug! Who knew?! 

It looks and feels exactly like what you would find in a budget hotel room and is absolutely perfect for an emergency little kettle. Tea making can commence!! As long as you don’t mind waiting 10 mins for the little kettle to boil I’ll make you a lovely cuppa in exchange for you dragging all the laminate flooring we’ve turfed up down the stairs!

Nearly forgot, look at the instruction manual!


Made that very clear didn’t they! Good old Argos…. 

Happy New Year 

Jan1

It’s New Years Day and while I would love to say that I’ve kicked off this year in a positive fashion I regretfully have to admit that I have not. After a very mixed New Years Eve I have not achieved much so far this year, but that’s ok because we still have 364 days to go. I did not feel that I had a positive 2016 either, however looking back to the 31st of December 2015 at how much has changed has proven otherwise. 

It’s scary to think that within a month I will have moved into my new home. (Providing nothing goes wrong!) I can’t wait to have that key in my hand and actually be a home owner. I seem to be doing this whole Adulting thing rather well lately! 

There are so many people piling on the pressure for a “New Year, New Me” but why do we need that? Surely unless you’re the scum of the earth “New Year, Improved Me” will do nicely? 

Happy New Year 🙂

An Unlikely Friendship

Dec28

After the attempts of the previous post a very unlikely friendship has formed! When Bobby first met Brunch he was most unhappy and took every opportunity possible to attempt to eat him. Who was this tiny little rodent suddenly invading his home and stealing the love of his humans? I’ve never seen such a jealous dog! 

When Bobby started spending all his time staring into Brunch’s cage I was convinced he was once again looking at a potential snack. However I was wrong and he’s actually fascinated by him and Brunch seems to be equally fascinated by Bobby. How a tiny little hamster can let a dog lick his ears without running away or being eaten I have no idea! 

Now I’m rather dreading having to separate such a friendship when I move back home after Christmas! Regardless of when I move Brunch back home I think I will have to bring Brunch back to visit Bobby regularly. 


Not much of a post but I thought this was just far too sweet to share. If two animals of two different species are able to get along and form such a friendship then why is it we as humans are unable to get along? 

We do not eat Family!

Dec25

Merry Christmas all 🙂

Thank you to everyone who has read my blog so far, I’m actually shocked at the amount of people who have actually subscribed to read my ramblings! After a positive start with constructive posts I unfortunately got struck down with some sort of mystery illness which results in regular fainting with minimal warning. Trust me to fail at the basic life skill of remaining conscious! However today has been perfectly faint free which is fabulous! I’ve still got the ingredients and equipment for my next 3 cake tutorials in the kitchen so fingers crossed my brain sorts itself out soon and I actually remain cold-free long enough to bake without infecting people! 

Massive thank you to this lovely lady in the photo below and her family for dealing with my temporary lapse of life skills on our trip to the pub the other night. After two sips of a drink I managed to pass out and dump the entire Jack Daniels and coke into my Ugg Boot and down her leg! True friends forgive you for ruining their jeans though and scoop you up the best they can, I’m a very lucky creature 😍. Still have not decided what was more heartbreaking, the loss of a whole double Jack Daniels and Coke or the filling of a beautiful Ugg Boot with said JD and Coke. It’s a tough one. Thank you however to the door staff and management of The Surrey Arms for being the first bar/club not to treat me like a drunk when I’ve fainted. Also thank you for taking such great care of me after and ensuring I still had a brilliant Christmas Eve Eve! 


Have spent most of the day trying to educate my dog on family etiquette as my hamster Brunch has joined us at my parents for Christmas. (Christmas is for everyone no matter how small!) Bobby the dog however was not too impressed by this and has spent the day squaring up to Brunch and eyeing him up as a post Christmas Dinner snack. After a few talks about how we don’t eat family the two have bonded and spent a lot of time nose to nose through the bars of the cage. I think Bobby’s Crimbo snack has now turned into a bit of a fascination. 



I have been well and truely spoilt today and have gained a lot of furniture and useful things I needed for my new flat which is just so kind and thoughtful as these things really do add up financially. It’s also so nice to have something your loved ones bought you move in with you, especially as I am moving further away from them. 

I honestly think Christmas gets even better as you get older. The feeling of getting something perfect for that person, wrapping it up and eagerly waiting for them to unwrap it on Christmas morning is the best part of Christmas! 

Hope you all had a lovely day with your loved ones. Christmas is definitely not about what is under the tree, it is the people who are around the tree with you that make the day. 

Today’s top 10 Quirky Stocking Fillers under £10

Dec8

I am slacking in terms of Christmas Shopping this year. Normally I am the sort who has done all my shopping before November hits and then by December it’s all wrapped with ribbons and bows waiting to be shipped to the North Pole for Santa to deliver. This year however the only present I have purchased is for the Hamster and even that is still sat in my Amazon basket awaiting check out. I am currently travelling 2 hours for work so definitely going to utilise this time to do some shopping! So here are the 10 Christmas Stocking Fillers (in no particular order as I am too indecisive) located from the middle of the M25.

1) – Batman Egg Cup and Toast Cutter 


Na-Na-Na-Na-Na Batman Breakfast! 

This little set is only £6.99 from the lovely little shopping haven that is iwantoneofthose.com. I don’t even eat egg, or toast, but just looking at this cheers me up. How could anyone’s morning not be brightened with this Batman themed breakfast? Batman’s removable mask will keep the egg warm until you’re ready to quack it open and with the cutters you can have perfect batman symbol toast shapes to dip. Also currently on a 3 for £20 mix and match promo! 

2) – Charity Candy Canes


These will cost you £3.99 from findmeagift.co.uk. A candy cane is a traditional little touch to a Christmas stocking and by choosing these ones you are also helping Happy Days Children’s Charity. Every box sold means £1 for the charity and considering they are only £3.99 to begin with it is nice to know that we are giving something to help others who need it as well as giving gifts to family and friends. 

3) – Slush Cuppy

The Slushy Cuppy turns any drink into a Slush Puppy! Reminds me of school holidays when Nan used to take me and the Brother for a Slush Puppy and we’d compete to see who’s tongue would turn the bluest. £9.99 from firebox.com so maybe pushing the limit for a stocking filler or Secret Santa but looks like a really good product with good reviews.


4) – Whisky Rockers

These clever little glasses can be rocked and spun and still won’t spill a drop! Currently only £6.99 from IWOOT and also part of the 3 for £20 offer. I am a Whisky lover… hint hint.


5) – Chocolate Sprouts 

There are two types of people at Christmas, Sprout Lovers and Sprout haters. Either way these little chocolate sprouts make a cute little stocking filler. They are available in either milk chocolate or dark chocolate and mint and are £6 for a small bag or £9.95 for the box shown below ft rom notonthehighstreet.com. 


6) – Allergy to Idiots Mints

Findmeagift.co.uk for only £1.99 makes a good secret Santa present for colleagues or friends. Also available in Anti-Snoring Mints, Allergy to Housework and Allergy to Mondays. Success rate is currently unknown. 

7) – Half a Wine Glass or a Bottle? 

How this wine glass stands up I’m not too sure but it is great for those times when you ask for “just half a glass” and some bugger fills it all the way up. Now that is impossible due to this half a glass. £5.99 from Menkind. Good quirky little present for a wine lover. 

For when those times when half a glass is not needed, on the opposite end of the spectrum is this glass for £9.99 which can hold over a bottle. Sounds like my kind of glass.


8) – Choc-o-lait Hot Chocolate on a Stick

These make a lovely little stocking filler for just about anyone! They are availabile in so many different flavours ranging from Milk Chocolate, Mint and White Chocolate to Caramel, Coconut and Cointrau. You can buy them at Choco-o-lait.co.uk for £15.75 for 24 sticks (79p a stick!!) or you can buy them individually from other retailers (google is your friend, prices vary so shop around!)


9) – Animal Toothbrush Holders

One for the kids. This stocking filler is both quirky, useful and hygienic! Avliable in 4 different animals from totally-funky.co.uk for £7.99. Choose from Bella Bird, Diego Dinosaur, Grace Giraffe and Sid Snake. More aimed at kids I agree but I thought they were pretty cool!


Check out Larry the Lizard Also! 

These can stick on the wall! 
10) – The Procrastinator Timewaster

I love this and I’m a frequent procrastinator. It is a doodle pad with 100’s of activities for an avid procrastinator and can be easily hidden in the case so no one will ever be aware of your procrastination! Sneaky Much. This is £9.95 from Prezzybox.com

I am that good of a procrastinator that I have successfully wasted most of my journey round the M25. However I have still done no shopping for the lovely people in my life, fear not I’m sure Santa will surprise you Christmas morning, if you’ve been good that is! 

The Annual Chocolate Debate

Nov20

Obviously being at my parents house sick and feeling sorry for myself means that those chocolate cravings are bound to crawl out at some point. Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. 

Unfortunately for me all there was in the house in the way of chocolate was a tub of Cadbury’s Roses which had been stashed away for Christmas. Initially I thought I’d hit the jackpot, but apparently Roses are not what I remember! Definitely got smaller and do not compete with the Heros and Celebrations or even the Quality Streets! 

However if I could take the Hazlenut Whirl out of the Roses and put it with the Malteaser and Galaxy from the Celebrations. Add the Twirl, Dairy Milk, Wispa and Creme Egg Twisted from the Heros and the Purple One and Green One from the Quality Street I think that would make a really decent box of chocolates. Also if they’d bring back the Truffle and Topic in the celebrations my childhood Christmas would really be complete.

How do people make that annual difficult decision which box to go with? Does anyone ever just get them all to eradicate the need to make that decision? Little box of each then put them all together? 


Now that has given me an idea. Instead of everyone going to the supermarket and purchasing their yearly tub of chocolates for Christmas there should be a Christmas Chocolate Tub/Tin Shop. A bit like M&M world, each of these sweets should be available in giant tubes and you can fill your Christmas Tub of Chocolates however you please. Of course this would involve all three confectionary companies getting on and collaborating in this but surly it’s worth it to prevent all those poor lonely unwanted chocolates (*cough* Toffees *cough*) lurking away in the bottom of the tin well into the next year as no one likes those ones?
Now please excuse me while I go fill my tub up with the malteasers. 

Thoughts and Opinions on the yearly struggle between the Roses, Celebrations, Quality Streets and Heros? 

– Chocolate Fiend

Not My Shoes

Nov19

After the doom and gloom of the previous post I felt it was also fair to share one of the better parts of the day.

My favourite pair of boots are my Black Bailey Bow Ugg Boots. We were in our car on the way to Children In Need and I went to pull my boots up. Suddenly I was very confused as there were no bows on my shoes but then I realised that I wasn’t wearing my shoes! I had shoes on but they were not Bailey Bows and they definitely were not mine!

“These are not my shoes?!” 


At this point my friend is trying to drive while dissolving into hysterical laughter 

I’m now panicking about who’s shoes I am wearing. I normally leave my boots out in the hallway as I hate wearing shoes indoors. My neighbours opposite also do the same so all of a sudden I am convinced I have stolen my neighbours shoes and am currently halfway round the M25 with them on my feet. 

I decide to ring my flatmate because by some coincidence she could have also left a pair of black boots outside the door? Surly it’s a million times better to be wearing my flatmate’s shoes than my neighbour’s? I would hate to have a reputation as a shoe thief! 

Luckily she answers and I franticly explain the predicament and am met with more hysterical laughter. Luckily for me she does own a pair of black Ugg-Style Boots without Bows which have somehow found themselves on my feet and I am no longer a shoe thief, just a shoe borrower!