So here we are New Years Eve. It’s been a super busy year, one of lots of change, it’s been challenging at times but it has certainly taught us lots. We say hello to 2012 a wiser family in many ways. Here’s our round up:
Lowlights
Mr L’s employer started to struggle financially in January
Wages became at best sporadic, but mostly not at all
We discovered Lil’ H had a loss of hearing which required grommet surgery
We had to pay stamp duty & lots of other boring costs to move house, sorry but they totalled close to £25,000 and I remain bitter!
In November Mr L’s employer went into administration making us income free – argh!
I made a friend who reminded me how false & insincere people can be
Highlights
We sold our old house
Diva G started walking
We enjoyed a great Royal Wedding weekend with good friends
Lil H turned 4 years old
We had a great break at Center Parcs
We held an amazing naming day with family & close friends
We had a fab, almost rain free, fortnight on holiday in Cornwall
We bought & moved into our new home and project for the next decade!
Lil H started full time school, settled in well, has lots of friends and has developed massively
I stepped back up to do more freelance work continuing to work with great clients and also gaining more clients & projects
I ran some projects that I was able to work with my online community, sharing good stuff with them
Baby G turned 2yo promoted to Diva G & started a couple of mornings at Pre-school
Mr L released from the shackles of employment started his own handyman/joinery business in Cheshire (go – like his Facebook page!), less than two months in and we already know we won’t look back.
I value myself. I don’t like everyone and I don’t expect everyone to like me. I’m cool with that.
Looking ahead
I have had a theme word rather than resolutions for the last two years, 2010 was a year of enjoyment, 2011 was a year of change. Both lived up to their themes. 2012 is a year to PLAN. I am woefully behind on blogging house updates that’s just putting living life with two kids, a house move and a redundancy I’ve been surviving life with very little time to document it. I have my mojo back as a blogger, a mother, a professional, a person. I’ve missed it. So now, now I’ve got ideas and thoughts and I need to reflect and PLAN, first up is find an architect to get my Pinterest inspired dreams into plans that can be both approved and afforded. So that’s the PLAN for 2012 to PLAN!
Lovely Laura over at Are we nearly there yet mummy has tagged me in the Ultimate Christmas Song Meme. Laura picked White Christmas which I am listening to as big fat snow flakes fall outside whilst I have a coffee and write this post. It feels pretty Christmassy.
Liz from The Mum Blog tagged Laura and chose The Pogues and Kirsty McColl, Fairy Tale of New York – which I love but I can’t face that mans teeth appearing on my blog so instead for my Ultimate Christmas Song I am choosing a much better looking Wham with Last Christmas. 1980′s music, fashion and Christmas at its best – bring it!
So what’s your’s and I am tagging some Nickie’s, some Kate’s and a Sian! Nickie, Sian, Kate, Nicki and Kate
A Hawaiian Woody and Jessie doll set that’s what! And / or a Hawaiian Buzz of course! These are some of Disney’s Top 10 Christmas gifts for 2011, amazing value at just £25 and are fab in lots of ways, let me tell you how much Woody, Jessie and Buzz are loved at our house.
Toy Story has been big news in this house since, well forever, just look how tiny my Lil H is here in my post “Just call me Woody“. In 2009 Lil H requested from Father Christmas a Woody doll and a Buzz Lightyear, that wish was fulfilled and they were joined by Jessie for Lil H’s 3rd birthday and now aged 4.5 years these guys are still firm favourites. Of course Woody, Buzz and Jessie have new playmates but they remain faithfully involved in all superhero rescue missions and the movies Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 are still popular requests.
The dedication, loyalty and love shown to Woody, Buzz and Jessie over the last two years makes them possibly the best value for money toys we own, they have been played more times than there were pennies in their price tags which makes them highly recommended from the Lancaster house of play! If you don’t have a Woody, Buzz or Jessie in your Toy Box perhaps its time to add one to the letter to Santa. These dolls also remain in good condition, especially given what they have been through, For example, despite not being a flying toy, Buzz has been flown to infinity and beyond down our stairs more times than I care to remember. Woody is really the favourite *shh!* his hair is showing a little bald spot where he has been squeezing through small gaps under sofas, beds etc. on rescue missions and he lost his voice following an momentary lapse of parental supervision at bath time. Jessie remains beautiful but has had a small admirer in Diva G who has drooled and sucked her hair as a baby of inappropriate age will do with her big brothers favourite toys. The joy of having a new Woody, back from hols with a new singing voice and a Jessie all of her own for Diva G will make our Christmas very special this year.
Toy Story reappeared on the big screen with an animated short “Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation” with the Cars 2 and now the new range of Toy Story Dolls are available with the Hawaiian Woody and Jessie doll set and Hawaiian Buzz making the Disney Top 10 Christmas gifts. They are the same dolls underneath their Hawaiian outfits which given them an extra outfit and “dress up” element for imaginative play. We were sent the double pack with a talking Woody & Jessie dolls sporting fun and colourful Hawaiian attire. Wearing their hula outfits they say over 20 songs and sentences, new and related to the Hawaiian movie and I have to say they amazing value now online at the Disney store where the Woody & Jessie Talking Hawaiian Vacation Double Doll Set is available for just £25!
Thank you Disney for remembering that Lil H was a massive Toy Story fan and sending us these brilliant toys dolls. If you haven’t seen Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation which screened with Cars 2, here’s the official trailer for you – you can find more links to fan pages at the bottom of the post too.
An early Christmas treat for you, I have a two great prizes to giveaway with love from Littlewoods. These items both first starred in the Littlewoods Christmas ad, which is here if you haven’t seen it. Lil’ H has been wearing to review a Ladybird parka for school a favourite brand of mine which sadly disappeared with Woolworths but is now back at Littlewoods. So once you’ve entered to win, check out my lowdown on Littlewoods Ladybird children’s clothes, I will add the link here
The competition closes in a week on Thursday 8th December 2011 so Littlewoods can get the prizes to the winners in time for Christmas. I will redraw on Saturday 10th December if the winner hasn’t been in touch. Each of the two prizes will have a winner to spread the Littlewoods love, I am using Rafflecopter with makes it super easy and fair for everyone. So let me tell you what you can win …
First we have an XBOX 360 Kinect Sensor Bar and Adventures, this is top of many a Christmas list this year, we’ve all seen the ad where you are the controller and I know you have all thought, yeah I could do that! £129 is a lot of money but if you enter and win this competition will make your cyber kids Christmas morning and they can spend the rest of the day “being the controller”. The sensor unit comes with a copy of Kinect Adventures, which lets you float in outer space, experience the thrill of roaring rapids, tackle mountaintop obstacle courses and dive into the deep to explore a leaky underwater observatory.
Next up less action and more looking pretty! Also up for winning is this beautiful Silver Necklace. You can’t go wrong with a new bit of sparkle for yourself at Christmas or if you were feeling generous this necklace would make a lovely gift for your mum, mother-in-law, auntie, sister, cousin, friend etc. At £65 you will be get generosity bonus points and your festive halo will be shining! Quick & easy to enter, why on earth not?
Toy Story has been big news in this house since, well forever, just look how tiny my Lil H is here in my post “
